What We Fight For
by WriterFrantic16
Summary: One-shot branch off from the Terran Rebirth. Takeshi is known to be one of the most brilliant Terran Generals there is. But he wouldn't have gotten that way had he not met someone special in his life. But who? Celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Rebirth Series!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or its affiliates. Picture is taken from Wikipedia, making it available for public domain usage. This was published in honor of the 1st anniversary of the Rebirth series.**

What We Fight For

**June 15****th****, Year 6**

The bars in Tate were all infamous for selling the rare drink of sake, a form of rice wine found only in the land of Hanar. As the popular late Lord Julian came from Hanar, it was only natural for the populace to become fond of the drink that their lord preferred even long after his death. To this day, Tate is the only city that can boast selling Hanar-imported sake at a reasonable(?) price to the populace on the main continent.

In fact, the influence of Hanar did not only extend to unique drink types. Several aspects of popular culture in this sole city were taken from Hanar, such as food and traditions. And of course, names sometimes were taken from this isolated island region within the Terran Empire.

Jitsumi was one such individual with a name. "Oh, please still be going on-!" The mentioned girl hissed as she ran down the sidewalk, her red scarf's ends trailing in the wind. Her outfit consisted of a tight fitting black shirt along with matching short shorts that actually left quite a bit of skin before being covered up by brown combat boots. A bright red vest covered part of her shirt but left her arms bare save the leather and metal gauntlets she wore. Large brown belts with several pouches wrapped around her waist and thighs, their contents a mystery to all but the owner.

Without any hesitation, she quickly climbed down a short flight of stairs and entered the small room located in the basement of the building. "Ah, I hope I made it!" The black hair teenage girl exclaimed as she entered the packed room, briefly flashing a citizen ID to the bartender on duty. Surprisingly, Jitsumi was the legal drinking age of 20 (in the Terran Empire) despite her young appearance. "You guys still have happy hour going on?"

"Hey Ji!" A man wearing a large coat turned from his drink and gave a slight wave, his odd clothing choice making him stand out easily among the other customers. But then again, who would wear a scarf in summertime? "You're just in time; there's about five minutes left today for happy hour."

"Oh Jack, I didn't know you were in town!" She happily stated, taking up a seat and nodding to the bartender. A few moments later, a flask of sake was placed in front of Jitsumi. "How did your job go?" The girl asked before taking in a deep swallow, sighing in relief as the familiar taste calmed her.

"It went alright. Pretty boring to be honest." The young man ran a gloved hand through his slick brown hair as he talked, obviously pleased with himself. To explain, Jack was a mercenary for hire of sorts, working for anyone for a nice sum of money. He was one of the best in the business and was among the best to hire. Jitsumi was one too, but she had some morals about her work in comparison to her laid-back friend. "Got a nice paycheck, so I think I can afford to take a few days off for a while. But I'm definitely going to look for another job soon. How about you?"

"I haven't been able to find anything good these past few days, but I'm still hoping," Jitsumi closed her eyes and grinned, her mouth nearly hidden by the large red scarf. One really had to wonder how she could consume food with that. "You never know! And if I still can't find one, well…there are still some things here that need to be taken care of."

"Are you still on that justice quest thing?" Jack asked incredulously, downing his drink and pulling out a wallet just as a bell started ringing. Happy hour was over, and no one wanted to pay full price for a flask of sake. Just because Tate was similar to Hanar didn't make the drinks cheap! "Listen, ditch it. Dealing with _them_ is only going to get you hurt one day. And I need a partner for some of these jobs! Who else can do what you do best?"

"It's alright, I can handle it." Her long black hair seemed to ripple as Jitsumi brushed her hair back, so as to avoid sake spilling onto them. She had to finish quickly before the bartender started to get annoyed and charged full price for her drink. "It keeps me on my toes and is for the good of the people. Don't you think it's the right thing to do?"

"Yeah, but one voice isn't really going to do much." The slick hair mercenary shook his head as he placed some Terran credits on the countertop. He stood up, ruffling his coat and checking his holster before looking into his friend's eyes. "You need to be selfish sometimes Ji; I really don't want you to get hurt."

"I can't help it Jack." She shook her head and gave another smile, but this one was more solemn. There was obviously a hint of sadness in this gesture, something that her friend had become accustomed to seeing. "It's my duty to this place. I can't help but have feelings."

"Well, unfortunately, I've got an appointment with yet another job offer. I'll hopefully see you again during the holidays. It was nice seeing ya," Jack said as he exited the bar, his large coat billowing out behind him as he walked. A few more people got up and left the bar while Jitsumi finished off her sake, leaving her with a group of businessmen in the bar.

Her eyes darted over for a second and noted their presence, focusing primarily on their jackets. With a single glance, she knew that it was best for her to disappear into the night. "Bill please," Jitsumi requested as she stood from her stool.

"Your boyfriend already paid it," The bartender replied as he took the flask and began wiping it down. "In full."

"Oh, you idiot." The mercenary girl sighed as she glanced at the empty seat next to her. "I suppose that's payback for last time…"

Suddenly, a gloved hand slammed around Jitsumi's wrist and she reacted instinctively, pulling back her elbow only for an oddly familiar voice to pause her. "There are five men waiting outside. They are dressed similarly to the four in here and are presumably likewise armed. Exit out the back when I make my move." The pressure on her wrist faded as the mysterious assailant moved on. Turning, the girl saw nobody where the figure once was.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing!" Jitsumi whirled back around to spot a hooded man being cornered by the mentioned businessmen. One of them had what looked like a drink spill on his suit. "What was that for!?"

"My mistake." The man wearing a green cloak responded calmly, not even acknowledging the tense situation. But Jitsumi could see out of the corner of her eye a slight hand movement, gesturing to the bathrooms of the bar. Giving a slight nod of thanks in return, she stealthily made her way over to the only safe exit out of the trap.

But instead of fleeing the scene, Jitsumi knew that she needed to see if she could reverse the situation. Once exiting the bar, she found herself in a dark alleyway that merged out into the main path only a few meters away. A quick peak around the corner revealed five smartly dressed men, all of them smoking outside the bar's entrance. Her path set, Jistumi reached behind and felt leather grips as her hands grabbed the weapons hidden in a sheath under the back of her shirt.

Then she paused as a loud gunshot and glass shattering was heard. A body suddenly appeared, crashing through the bar's window and landing on the stairs down to the underground room. The five smoking men all looked with shock at the groaning comrade before stubbing their smokes and pulling out blaster pistols. Without any hesitation, they rushed into the bar and multiple gunshots were heard, along with an ominous hissing noise that Jitsumi half-recognized as a very sharp blade slicing through flesh.

Taking the chance, the black hair girl rounded the corner and dashed down the sidewalk, ignoring the groaning man on the ground as she leapt down the stairs. Her hands moved instinctively as she landed, drawing out two trident-like weapons from behind her back. With little regard to what was waiting for her inside, Jitsumi took in a deep breath and entered the bar for the second time that day.

Only to find that her help wasn't even needed, for the armed foes were lying limp and sprawled all over the bar. They bore many slash marks and some even were missing parts of their body, the flesh sliced apart cleanly with little regard to the owner's wellbeing. Blood was splattered everywhere on the walls, on the chairs, on the glasses.

And yet the hooded man in the middle was untouched, merely sheathing what looked to be a traditional katana back under his coat. Jitsumi suddenly was aware of the weapons in her hands and immediately stowed them away just before the swordsman looked up at the girl he just helped. "I told you to leave here," He coldly remarked, walking forwards and past Jitsumi, paying no heed to the bodies lying all over the floor.

"I couldn't…I'm responsible for this mess," The girl responded, turning around to follow the mysterious stranger. "These men were sent after me. It's no doubt revenge for one of my recent takedowns."

"You're getting involved with a very dangerous mafia group here in Tate. You better cut ties immediately and leave this city if you want to live risk-free," The man advised, but Jitsumi was already shaking her head.

"I can't. I love this place, so I'll keep protecting it against scum like them."

"If you say so." The man paused as the two exited the bar. He glanced to the groaning man on the stairs and turned to Jitsumi. "You left a survivor."

Before the girl could even respond, an ominous hiss was heard and the man's groans of pain turned into a loud scream as a blade was impaled into his chest. But it was only for a moment before the cry was silenced when the heart was pierced, the hooded man flicking the blood off the tip of his blade with a smooth swipe and sheathing it in the same motion.

"What was that for?!" The girl protested, grabbing the figure's arm with an appalled look. "He wasn't going to be any threat to you!"

"For now, but what's to say that in the future he won't hesitate to do the same?" A harsh explanation was given as Jitsumi was roughly pushed off. "He made his choices, and I made mine. If you want somebody to blame, blame the one who sent this man against you."

"But-!"

"Or simply put it, blame yourself. Would this happen if you decided to get involved with this business?"

With that, the hooded man walked off from the bloodbath down the street, acting as if nothing had happened. As if he did this every day. Jitsumi narrowed her eyes at the disappearing green back and made a slight growl. She really didn't like that guy. She'd hope never to see him again for a while.

O O O

**June 16****th****, Year 6**

And of course, she ran into him the next day.

With a loud clang, the air vent cover snapped off and landed rather noisily on the ground of the warehouse. Jitsumi nimbly followed, landing on the ground with throwing knives in hand-

A hooded man in a green cloak was standing on the main catwalk of the warehouse, bloodied bodies scattered all around him, hanging off the railings. He calmly sheathed his blade and glanced downwards at the newcomer, who again managed to hide her blades before he saw them. "I thought I told you to flee the city."

"And I thought I'd tell you that I won't!" Jitsumi shouted back and the man grunted, pushing himself off the railing and landing on the ground. His coat fluttered for a second from the impact, but it quickly returned to its original position as its owner glared at the scarf-wearing girl.

"You really are quite stubborn."

"I just care, that's all!"

"…do what you want, I really don't care." The hooded swordsman turned away and began to walk. But Jitsumi didn't want to give up and dogged his steps as the two made their way out of the warehouse, ignoring all the dead bodies they passed, and into the morning sun that was beginning to encompass Tate.

The Terran city was slowly waking up as the rays of light appeared, providing natural light in the half-modernized streets. Street lamps flickered off as their usefulness was outlived for now, their basic light bulbs not match for the brilliant light from the ball of fire in the sky. Joggers began their morning runs as service vehicles finished their nightly duties and began returning to their garages, on standby till the next night.

Cafes and grocers began opening up as their owners flipped the signs and unlocked the doors, signaling the beginning of their business day. Already, some were lining up outside the shops, some businessmen looking for a quick cup of coffee, some families wanting a good breakfast, some drunks waiting to get arrested. None of them had the slightest idea of the bloodshed that was committed last night

Jitsumi darted into one such shop and pulled out some crumpled Terran credits from her belt. She placed the bills on the counter and picked up two already-made plastic cups of coffee, running back out quickly to keep up with the hooded man. "You need this?" She asked, holding out one of the cups. "After any fight, you often need to down something to keep your stomach."

"Thanks." The man's gloved hand took the cup and lifted it up to his face, only to realize that he was still wearing his hood. With a sigh, the swordsman used his other gloved hand to flip back the green hood, revealing a surprisingly young man, about the same age as Jitsumi. His eyes betrayed years of sleepless nights and experience, and his black hair spiked out in a way similar to those native to Hanar. "I suppose that you know a bit about combat then?" He asked, sipping the hot drink.

"Of course. I'm a mercenary by trade," The girl replied, drinking out of her coffee as well. "I may not look like much, but I'm one of the best in the business!"

"I'm sure you are. What's your name?"

"Jitsumi. Yours?"

"Takeshi." The scarf-wearing woman blinked before her eyes widened in recognition of the name and the man sighed in exasperation. "Yes, _that_ Takeshi."

"You're a General of the Terran Empire!"

"I'm aware of that."

"What are you doing here?!" Jitsumi exclaimed with much arm waving. Unfortunately, she forgot about the nearly-full cup of coffee she was holding and the liquid expectedly spilled out, crashing onto the floor and splattering droplets of hot flavored water all over the girl's exposed legs. Takeshi could not help but wince sympathetically as his new companion hissed in pain, taking out a few tissues from her belt and dabbing at the angry red spots.

Deciding in a brief moment that he had spoken enough to this resident of Tate, Takeshi pulled his hood back up and walked quickly on before Jitsumi could notice. The mercenary didn't have the slightest indication that her acquaintance left until she looked up, the tissue papers brown with coffee. There was no sign of General Takeshi anywhere as the commute of Tate appeared en mass, swallowing up the streets and individuals that stood in it.

O O O

**June 18****th****, Year 6**

The body of the mafia guard in a business suit slumped downwards and fell onto the railing as his hand failed to stem the torrent of blood gushing out of his throat. Jitsumi grimly flicked her weapon, knocking the blood off the blade before returning it to the sheath. Then, she grabbed the legs of the corpse and began to drag it. It was a nasty business, but she needed to get the body out of sight.

The steel door gently creaked to the side as Jitsumi opened it, the girl prepared to leap back if need be. But seeing as there was no immediate threat, she quickly made her way inside and shut the door with her leg, dropping the body immediately onto the floor and leaving it be. A quick glance around told Jitsumi that she had found her goal: the hiding spot for the weapons. Open crates filled with assault rifles were stored here, a pseudo-armory for the mafia to arm themselves.

By taking it out, the mafia here would most certainly lose momentum as their last source of weaponry would be destroyed. However, as Jitsumi kneeled down to rummage around for grenades in the crates, it occurred to her that they would be aware of this weakness. Why then, was there a lack of guards?

The radio she stole earlier off another guard came to life as she realized this flaw. "Everybody, Steve's missing!"

"Bob's also gone! There's a pool of blood from he was stationed!"

"They've taken the bait! Emerge and tighten the noose!"

"Oh, are you kidding me!" Jitsumi muttered, getting up and rushing to the steel door. Mindful not to trip over the dead body on the floor, she flattened herself against the wall and pulled out a canister from her belt pouches. This was going to be tricky. She would have to open the door, deploy the smoke grenade, wait until the mafia was sufficiently stunned, and then dash out and pray that nobody would spray bullets in her direction. Judging from the number of voices pouring out from the radio, there had to be at least 20 ready to fire upon her.

"Alright boys, get ready to shoot!"

"Ready!"

"Let's go gun down this cockroach!"

The leader of the ambush was far too concerned with the radio to notice a hooded person walking up behind him, the man slowly drawing a elegant curved blade as he came closer to his target. "One, two-!" As the mafia man suddenly realized that somebody was behind him and whirled around, it was far too late for the corrupt to dodge Takeshi's blade, which gleefully separated the head from the body in a single and smooth slash.

A sudden gurgle was heard over the radio as the dead man's headless body sprayed blood into the air, the red liquid splattering everybody but on Takeshi's cloak by sheer luck. The remainder of the mafia who were set up in various boxes in the warehouse paused and hesitated in confusion. That was all Jitsumi needed to lunge out and pull the pin on her smoke bomb, throwing the canister into the direct center of the room. She followed the metal container, jumping over the railing and landing on the floor just as a loud hiss was heard and white smoke filled the entire warehouse.

Takeshi felt his eyes slightly water the minute he made contact with smoke, and immediately drew his hood even tighter over his head, bringing up his collar to cover his mouth specifically. Phosphorous smoke, he realized. It was a near-impenetrable veil with the bonus of being guaranteed to disorient anybody who weren't prepared to deal with the sudden dizziness that was associated with inhaling it. Taking in a deep breath to focus his mind, the strategist shook off the fog that was beginning to seep into his mind and re-centered his attention to the now stunned mafia.

Jitsumi was already going to town with them, her scarf wrapped securely around her mouth so as to prevent direct inhalation as she moved swiftly through the smoke filled room. Twin trident-like blades flashed as they moved through the flesh and blood of the gunmen, piercing skin and ripping gashes with brutal savagery. But it was almost elegant in the style the weapons tore apart human flesh, almost as if the black hair girl was performing some sort of dance. A slash here, a kick there, a backflip retreat, a forwards lunge! 10 men were dispatched in this manner, raising chances of survival considerably.

However, there were still far too many for the girl to take care of by herself and the smoke eventually faded, giving the armed mafia members that still stood in the warehouse a chance to fire upon the exposed mercenary. Blaster pistols and AGR rifles fired, bullets holes appearing in the cement ground in front of Jitsumi as she nimbly dodged the poorly aimed rounds. The men were still suffering from the aftereffects of phosphorus gas and would be disoriented for a few brief moments. But after that…

Then Takeshi decided that he now had the perfect engagement zone. With the smoke no longer hindering his mental processes, he dashed to the closest man and pulled the trigger on his sheath. A loud gunshot noise was heard and out of its cover sprang out the man's sword, its hilt rocketing upwards so as to make contact with the foe's chin and stun him for a few seconds as the leather grip found its master's hand. The blade swung directly downwards in a single one-handed strike, slicing through the well-tailored suit and scarred skin to reveal the blood vessels underneath and releasing them from the fleshy prison.

Jitsumi followed up by vaulting over the slashed foe, roughly snapping his neck with one hand on his head to end the pain quickly as she flew over backwards, landing behind Takeshi in a smooth gesture. The Terran general and the Tate mercenary immediately backed into each other, their eyes analyzing the remaining nine foes around them as gun barrels were pointed at the green and red duo. Takeshi held out his katana sword with one hand while his other was gripped tightly on the sheath, ready to pull the gun trigger on it if need be. Jitsumi held her two sai daggers in a backhanded fashion, ready to defend if necessary.

Amid all the shouts of confusion and rage from the gunmen, the two looked and nodded to each other. One glance at their partner's face was all they needed to know each other's plan. Without any hesitation or other signal, they immediately dashed from each other and began going to work.

Loud gunshots and ominous slicing blades was all that was heard for the next few minutes, as well as thumps from bodies falling to the floor. Takeshi didn't ever pause in-between his foes, striking out with only one hand but with augmented speeds thanks to his modified sheath. A flurry of sword slices surrounded him much like an aura, a maelstrom of steel death. Occasionally, he switched to two hands and that was the most brutal of executions, as entire body segments would be cut up before the person could even realize they were dead.

Jitsumi was far more precise and efficient in her killings, lunging out and piercing exact body organs with the points of her sais. There was no need for brutality or suffering in her opinion; a person, regardless of who they were, should receive death in a swift and painless form. However, she was forced to resort to sometimes using additional equipment from her endless amount of pouches to disable the more dangerous foes. Throwing knives served this purpose, piercing through wrists or ankles to bring a person down in order to protect her more fragile body.

Within 10 minutes, it was all over. Bullet casings littered the floor and floated in multiple puddles of blood, amid the well-dressed bodies slumped everywhere that were forever stained. Bits of flesh or entire limbs were lying here and there, separated from their masters before endless nothingness set in. A few guns lay shattered on the ground as well, but it was nothing when one considered how many still-intact firearms were scattered around the warehouse.

Giving one last flick of the katana to rid it of the liquid red fluids on it, Takeshi sighed and slowly returned the blade to its sheath in one fashion. This would certainly cause quite a ripple in the city, an entire warehouse bathed in blood. And when they ID the bodies as mafia members! His pilgrimage here may be cut short-

A loud thump was heard as Jitsumi slumped to the floor, her blood-stained sais clattering out of her hands. The hooded man immediately turned and rushed over to her side, checking her pulse and giving her body a once over for any serious wounds. Barring minor scratches from close bullet shots, so far none. "Are you alright?"

"…give me a second." The black hair girl gently grabbed her red scarf and moved it to her face, letting out a muffled cry of frustration. But when she dropped the cloth, Jitsumi was smiling. "I guess…I just need to get better at this. If I were a bit more careful, this could have been all avoided."

"You did your best. No need to wallow in the past, but it is necessary to push on to the future. Quickly, we have to leave!"

"Got it," She said with firm conviction, taking her trident weapons and returning them to the sheath on her back. The two hastily made their way out of the warehouse, and upon hearing police sirens, turned to run in the opposite direction. Soon, officers would discover the massacre within and the weapons cache. An entire investigation would be conducted to find out the murderers, but nothing would turn up. Perhaps it was the fact that nobody knew how to track down people that used outdated weaponry.

Or perhaps it was the fact that they really didn't try. After all, several dangerous and wanted mafia criminals were just confirmed dead. Whoever killed them must be even more dangerous than the powerful criminal organization that has gripped Tate.

O O O

**June 21****st****, Year 6**

Takeshi woke up to the hissing of boiling water. He instinctively reached under the mattress to grab his katana, only to fall to the side rather comically in a tangle of clothing and blankets. "What the-?" The black hair man muttered, his voice muffled by the swath of cloth around him.

"Glad to see you're awake!" Jitsumi cheerfully noted as she flipped the pot's lid upwards so to let the built up steam escape. With careful and deft movements, she picked up the pot of hot water and slowly poured it into two plastic cups of instant ramen. "Sorry for the lack of space around here, I'm a bit of a packrat at times."

"No worries." Takeshi kicked around a bit and managed to untangle himself from the assortment of spare clothing that Jitsumi had lying haphazardly all around her small apartment. Spare shirts and vests went flying everywhere as the swordsman finally managed to unwrap himself from the tangle and stood up, brushing the dirt off his black shirt. A glance at the overloaded jacket rack in the corner of the room confirmed that his signature green coat was still there, along with Jitsumi's vest.

The girl herself was still wearing the red scarf tightly bound around her neck as she blew gently at the steam rising from the ramen cups, rummaging around the small kitchen and fishing out two sets of chopsticks. Her house guest himself back down at the couch in which he woke up from and accepted the offer of food, wincing slightly as some of the hot liquid spilled and trickled down to his glove. It didn't matter much though, as Takeshi took the chopsticks and began slurping the instant noodles without any hesitation. Jitsumi followed suit after taking a seat next to him on the sofa, careful not to spill anything on her scarf.

The sound of fluids and noodles slurping was all that was heard for the next few minutes as the two dug into their meal. While they ate, Takeshi's eyes wandered around and took in the sight of Jitsumi's apartment in the full morning light. Or rather, the brightest it was ever going to be as there was only one small window to provide light for the entire room.

After fleeing the scene of the crime, Takeshi knew that authorities would quickly fan out and check out the local area, finding nothing as the two vigilantes had left no evidence that could identify them. However, the next step would be immediately containing the entire district and city off in a half-hearted effort to find the killer through random checks of the people traveling. There was no way that Takeshi could return to his hotel inconspicuously and risk drawing attention by traveling out of the district or city. Thus, he would need to find a place to lay low for a couple days until the busy police department reassigned their priorities in an eventual "case closed" gesture.

Jitsumi, understanding the problem instantly, offered her place as a safe house for Takeshi. It was small, unremarkable, and blended in perfectly with the many other apartments in the building. The police could never search all of them in time.

And so, that was why Takeshi was currently eating instant ramen noodles in a stranger's apartment. To be fair, he rather liked the disorganized and messy two room apartment that Jitsumi was renting. It reminded him a lot about his own living quarters in Central: small, cozy, and chaotic to a degree. "Why so many clothes?" The strategist asked between slurps.

"I sometimes have to go into disguise or wear a certain color scheme at the employer's request," The mercenary explained, wiping her mouth with the back of her glove. "It is rather annoying to have to keep buying new clothes if I throw away the old ones, so I just stockpile for any case. In fact, I make a lot of these myself! I do donate some of them occasionally, especially the ones I grow out of."

"Oh? Where to?"

"The local orphanages. They're always in need for more clothes."

"Seems reasonable." Again, the two lapsed into silence as they finished their breakfast. While it may seem a bit unusual to have noodles for breakfast, here in Hanar, it was almost a tradition that mimicked the diet of people from Tate. It was a surprise to any outsider, but it was welcome surprise nonetheless.

After finishing his meal, the black hair man stood up, took his empty cup, and threw it into the trash can in the kitchen while placing the chopsticks in the sink, quickly taking off his gloves in preparation. He turned on the sink and grabbed the sponge, washing thoroughly the plastic sticks. When Jitsumi finished her own meal and walked over, he took her chopsticks and washed them as well. Then Takeshi saw the huge pile of unwashed dishes in the sink.

Okay, he was at the very least cleaner than _that_.

"Oh, sorry about that mess! I keep having to eat quick meals and dumped the plates with intention to wash later. It kinda just stacks up after a while." The black hair girl gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of her head with a hand. "I'll take care of it now-"

"Let me, I already got my hands wet and dirty."

"No, no! You're a guest, I should-"

"I insist." Without waiting for any other argument to present itself, a rattle of cooked clay was heard as Takeshi went straight into the task. In his mind, this was only a mere portion of what he had to do to make up for the incontinence of troubling Jitsumi for a safe house.

The two of them stood there in the kitchen in silence, both unsure of what to say. Takeshi was washing dishes and Jitsumi was leaning against the fridge door with her arms crossed under her long red scarf. What was there to talk about? Just a few days ago, they'd been at each other's throats! Now, after facing the same danger together…

"Did you know I'm not from around here originally? I actually grew up in Hanar for a while," Jitsumi began, her eyes growing misty as she recalled the odyssey of her life. Of course, she wouldn't normally do this to a stranger she'd just met. Heck, she wouldn't even talk to Jack about this! But around Takeshi, especially in this time of peace, it felt oddly comforting. She glanced to the side and saw that he was still intently washing the plates, but the General's black eyes flickered sideways to indicate he was listening. "My mom raised me and taught me pretty much everything I knew, even how to fight! She always spoke of my dad, a dashing warrior and leader who left her for unknown reasons while she was pregnant with me."

"Sounds like a swell guy." Sarcasm practically dripped off Takeshi's voice as he commented on Jitsumi's father but she shrugged in ambivalence.

"I don't really blame him. Hanar was, at the time, composed of various warlords vying for power. The late Lord Julian from here actually had managed to subdued most of them for a while, but his power eventually faded and battle returned to the land. People were hiring out to either sides, blood spilt for farmland, and families torn apart due to war." Jitsumi tugged off her gloves and held out her hands and stared at them, remembering how drenched and red these fingers once were. "When mom died…I had to resort to war as a means of business. What's more, I didn't have the luxury of picking and choosing jobs like today. I hated my job."

Unbeknownst to her, Takeshi also glanced down at his own bare hands and saw the multiple scars that marked his servitude under Mansume. He instinctively clenched his hands, feeling pain well up once again as he pondered over the sins he'd committed during those wars. "So...when did you come here?"

"I came over her in…Year 3 by the standards of the Terran Empire. Just right before Commander Anthony actually invaded Hanar," She answered, slipping the pale fingers back into the gloves and flexing. "Jack actually got me out. He was a foreign mercenary at the time, drawn by the wars as a soldier of fortune. He saw me as a potential business partner and offered to help me leave Hanar if I were to work with him on a particularly difficult job back on the mainland. I agreed and we managed to charter a boat off that miserable island, just in time to take the job and earn our first salary together.

"I was happy, cause the job didn't call for unnecessary bloodshed of innocents. We didn't even have to actually kill anybody! It was a relief from all the killings, all the wars, all the slaughters. It got me to believe that a mercenary life was again possible."

"That's good to hear I suppose. But then why did you pick Tate as your city of residence?"

"Well…in truth, I was looking for my father." Takeshi blinked in surprise. "From what my mom told me, he was a very good friend of Lord Julian and would've most likely followed him to the ends of the world. I followed the trail all the way here and found Tate to actually be a lovely city that my father most certainly would've helped found."

"Any luck regarding his identity though? I actually kno- _knew_ some of Lord Julian' personal friends. I could possibly tell you about him if I know his name."

"Do you? That's a pity then, because I never found out his name. The trail went cold and I gave up."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I enjoy the life I live now." Jitsumi closed her eyes and leaned back even more, placing her hands backwards against the fridge as she smiled. "I work odd jobs here and there. I help out children at the local orphanage. I protect the city that my father loved from those who seek to exploit it. What more can I ask for?"

"Nothing, if that's what you want out of life."

"Well, that's easy for you say! You're a freaking Terran General!"

"I am very well aware of that."

O O O

**June 22****nd****, Year 6**

To alleviate the boredom that would've consumed Takeshi due to him being cooped up in a small apartment for days, Jitsumi reluctantly gave him the task of helping her clean up the apartment. She'd finally decided that it was time to go donate more clothing to the orphanages and needed help cleaning up the entire place to figure out what stayed and what went. Takeshi, eager to keep his mind sharp by doing something, anything, agreed and thus the clean-up process began.

Already, two massive piles of clothes were being formed as the two dug their way through the various clothes that littered Jitsumi's apartment. One would be the clothes that were donated to charity; the other would be kept for possible future usage. The owner of these clothes seemed particularly excited about the former, stating that it was good to see little faces light up in happiness whenever she came over to help around.

Takeshi was mainly concerned about not accidentally suffocating himself in the flood of clothes all around. Barely a surface was untouched by some shirt or cape! How did Jitsumi live like this? If this was the living room, he didn't want to see her smaller bedroom.

While digging around, the strategist uncovered something covered a huge pile of clothing on top: an oddly cut area of the wooden floor. He knocked on it experimentally and heard a hollow thud. It was a secret compartment of sorts. Takeshi turned to ask Jitsumi, only to realize that the girl was gone none, taking one of the batches of clothing to the children. She had been so giddy to leave, a wide smiling beam on her face as her red scarf almost matched the color of glee in her cheeks.

Sighing in annoyance, Takeshi decided to leave it be for now. But his eyes refused to leave the spot even after his mind was settled, and for no reason, his heart began fluttering. What was in there that was causing this reaction? Was it something about Jitsumi's past? She'd already told him everything he needed to know and more; why should he be concerned?

Finally giving in to his curiosity, the strategist kneeled down and grabbed the edge of the fake flooring with the tips of his gloves, lifting the wooden panel out and peering inside. At first, as he placed the small top aside and looked, there was very little he could make out. But as Takeshi reached in and took out the things one by one, he was fascinated what he'd just uncover.

First of all was an old looking traditional scroll. Takeshi gently opened it up and his eyes widened by the contents. Inscribed on the paper was a gorgeous drawing of a sakura tree, an increasingly rare and beautiful species of trees native only to Hanar. But right next to it was a very familiar haiku, a traditional Hanar poem form. Closing his eyes, the strategist instinctively recalled the poem from memory and murmured its English translation under his breath.

_Sakura blossoms_

_Floating gently to the land_

_Two never the same_

This was written in a book filled with strategy that Lord Julian gave him. How in the world did Jitsumi end up with a copy of this poem? Slightly confused, Takeshi set the scroll aside and picked up the next item, yet another old looking scroll.

Opening it up with careful hands, Takeshi could not help but smile at what he saw. It was a picture of who had to be Jitsumi's mother, beautifully sketched with elegance. It looked like an older Jitsumi down to the hair length, but there was a deep sadness to the picture that the daughter didn't share. Again, next to the picture, there were a few words written in Hanar. A name, Takeshi realized as he read it. _My beloved, Tokimi._

"Well, safe to say, the father didn't leave because of another woman," The Terran General chuckled, his fingers gently tracing over the lines. With another careful flourish, the black hair man rolled the scroll back up and placed it aside. There were two more objects in the compartment.

Item number three was a wax seal. Takeshi tilted it upside down and focused on the faint imprinting on the red wax, his mind mentally drawing out what the crest on the seal was. Only a few seconds later, it clicked and the strategist's eyes shot up in surprise. The symbols on the seal would make a tiger surrounded by two sakura flowers! It was Lord Julian's seal! How the heck did Jitsumi get a hold of this?! Only one existed in the world and it was currently in Takeshi's personal possessions back home!

The final hidden object in Jitsumi's compartment would hopefully explain all, Takeshi thought as he reached in. He felt around and grabbed something wooden, but it wouldn't budge as he tried pulling. His heart beating wildly, the strategist abandoned all logical thinking and pulled with all his strength to uncover this mysterious object. A final yank did the trick of dislodging the item and Takeshi fell backwards from the sudden jolt, landing on his back as he stared at the object in his hands.

"Hey, I'm back! How's clean up?" Jitsumi cheerfully greeted as the apartment door slammed behind her. "Are you still…alive…Takeshi?"

The black hair man slowly stood up, taking care not to step on any of the uncovered relics from the girl's secret compartment, and walked over to the shocked mercenary. He bowed his head, making the General's face indistinguishable as Jitsumi stared at her most precious possessions revealed to a stranger. "Jitsumi…I'm…so sorry."

"How…how did you find those?!" The girl exploded with fury, stomping her foot and pointing at her secret compartment space. "You had no right to look in my personal belongings or life! HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Because I'm your brother." Jitsumi suddenly felt strong arms envelope her and felt the wind getting knocked out of her lungs as Takeshi unexpectedly hugged the girl. She froze for a second, taking in what her house guest just announced. Takeshi…was her brother? Without warning, tears started welling up in Jitsumi's eyes as she unconsciously returned the embrace. "But…but…brother…? How?"

"Lord Julian was my father. Your mother was Tokimi. We both each have a copy of my father's seal and your mother's poem. And this is the final proof we need." The two broke the hug and Takeshi held out the final item of Jitsumi's secret compartment.

A small wooden sheath, simple looking. The girl instinctively took it into her hands and drew the blade, her eyes closing slightly in respect for the elegant sound of the blade sliding out of its container. It was a wakizashi, a blade made for those with the distinction of warriors. Takeshi leaned slightly and took his own sword sheath that was leaning next to the door, drawing the long blade out with a smooth hiss. It was a katana, a blade made for those with the distinction of warriors.

Together, the two newly discovered siblings held the blades side by side and the two steels glimmered identically, united at last after years of separation. Characters shone off both blades, identically written at the same time the blacksmith made them. There was no doubt: these were the weapons of their father. The blood of their mothered thundered through each of them as they slowly sheathed their blades and laid them aside, embracing once again as their hearts finally beat as one after too many years of separation.

O O O

**June 25****th****, Year 6**

"So this is my father," Jitsumi said with a sad smile, kneeling down and bowing her head towards the headstone grave marker. "Hey dad…sorry for taking so long. Better late than never, right?"

"I think he would be impressed by how far you've come," Takeshi commented with a small grin, bowing his head as well but staying on his feet. A brown leather suitcase rested at his feet, filled with all of Takeshi's personal effects. His train back to Central was in a few hours; this was the last thing the strategist wanted to do for his sister before leaving for who knows how long.

Immediately after the discovery, both Takeshi and Jitsumi opened up about their lives and chatted endlessly, enriching each other in their other twin's details. That's right: twins! The two shared the same birthday and possessed too many similar details to be simply siblings. They had to be two halves of a greater whole.

"I'm glad to have met you Takeshi…brother." The black hair girl stood up and embraced her twin, who returned the gesture without hesitation. "This means that I'm not alone anymore…I mean, I have Jack and all, but having actual blood!"

"I feel the same way Jitsumi…sister." The word felt very much foreign on his tongue, but Takeshi closed his eyes in amusement. "You should visit Central one day perhaps…I could maybe introduce you to a few of my colleagues."

"You flatter me, but I doubt I'll leave Tate. Not when I still have so much business here."

"Well, take care of our father's grave alright? And stay safe!"

"I will! Till next time Takeshi!"

"Farewell Jitsumi! We shall indeed meet again!"

O O O

**July 12****th****, Year 6**

"Hey, is it me, or is General Takeshi…off?"

"You're right man, I feel the same way too! He actually thanked me!"

"The guy's gone insane; he told me 'good job!' What, did some kinda alien come and possess him?"

"Calm down you lot." The conversing engineers turned to see a bespectacled man with green hair glaring at them. "What's the big deal here? I've been getting reports of a shortage of work in this garage! Are you idiots doing something illegal?! I'll have you-"

"Please sir, this is important!" One of the men frantically replied. "We believe that General Takeshi has been kidnapped and replaced!"

"Oh? Upon what basis?" Rorke exasperatedly asked, pushing his glasses tiredly. "What did he do, tell you 'good job?'"

"Yes sir!"

"…okay, that is actually quite worrying. Does anybody know anything else?"

"Oh, that's right! I found this picture while cleaning his Tank!" One of the engineers reached into a pocket and pulled out a picture of a beaming brown hair girl wearing a blue scarf around her neck. "You think that he's got a girl or something over the summer?"

"Damn, if he did, that's one fine lady!"

"Eh, he could've and should've gotten better.

"Give me that _now_." An oddly calm voice was heard, but it was the engineer holding the photo who yelped unmanly-like as cold and sharp steel was felt against his throat. The mechanic instinctively let go of the paper and a gloved hand snatched it out of the air, the metal feeling against his neck disappearing instantly as the hooded man took his leave. The group fell into silence for at least five minutes as they pondered what just happened. Eventually, Rorke spoke up.

"Well, I think we'd best be heading back to work. Oh, and we should mind where our hands wander from now on."

O O O

**August 16****th****, Year 6**

"Okay, so everything is in order?" Commander Anthony of the Terran Empire asked, glancing through all the paperwork he'd just signed. "Are your facilities prepared to house Elise?"

"Without a doubt sir," Rorke answered smoothly, lacking hesitation. "My lab is set up to house her comfortably as well as aide her training, something that she'll definitely need in her youngest stages."

"All we need now is the girl, sir, and we'll be out of your hair for now," Takeshi promised and the black hair man nodded, placing a gloved hand on his chin.

"Well then, I expect this project to go as planned. However," Here, eyes filled with steel appeared in Anthony's face as he glared at his two smartest Generals. "If, at any point, I feel that Elise is mistreated, I WILL terminate the Ghost project. Is that understood?"

"Understood!"

"Of course."

"Now, both of you, go. Don't you have a kidnapping to do?" Anthony made shooing gestures with his hands and the two Generals left his office, walking down the hallway in silence as they contemplated their actions. They had just condemned a child's childhood dead. Was it worth it?

If Project Ghost worked out as planned, then yes, it was most definitely worth the sacrifice.

While in the elevator, Rorke's tablet beeped and the scientist immediately checked it. A moment later, he swore colorfully. "We've got a problem. Our agents were caught."

"What, really?" Takeshi asked with disbelief, leaning over to catch a glimpse over Rorke's shoulder. Sure enough, there was a news article titled "AUTHORITIES CATCH POSSIBLE CHILD SNATCHERS IN HALE." "That's not good. We need to get somebody else on the case, and quickly. The train should've just left Hale, so we have some but not a lot of time."

"I don't know anyone who's available to snatch. The train is nonstop to Central, meaning that the minute Elise steps off the train, we lose her to the system forever."

"Ah, damn." Takeshi groaned, running a hand through his hidden hooded hair as he considered possibilities. "Can you pull up a map of the train route? I might be able to figure out an excuse to delay the train and get somebody onboard."

"Sure, here you go." Rorke swiped across his tablet a few times and held up the screen. The strategist of the Terran Empire studied it quickly, knowing that every second wasted was a meter that the train traveled. His eyes drifted and saw that the train's route went through the city of Tate on its way to Central. He smiled wolfishly.

"Mind if I borrow your phone? I need to make a call."

O O O

The exterior of the train was calm and collected, save the noise of wheels thundering against metal tracks. There were no signs of distress, no indication of chaos, no abundance of panic. All was calm as the train traveled onwards, entering the city limits of Tate.

Inside, it was a different story entirely. Majority of the train's passengers were orphans from the Hale rebellion, meaning that they no longer had parents. However, almost all of them were spared from witnessing firsthand the horrors of war and thus still retained their childish minds and behaviors. There was screaming, there was chanting, there was shouting as the kids all played with each other on the train in a variety of noisy games. They didn't care where they were going; all they knew was that they had a lot of life in them.

However, there was one among them who did not participate at all. She was sitting silently in a chair, her small legs dangling out of a white dress over the side of the seat as she stared straight ahead. Her black hair was tied up in ponytails around her face and it got in her line of vision, but Elise made absolutely no gesture to remedy it.

Her eyes flickered once to the side as she realized that the train was passing through the city of Tate. She watched the soaring skyscrapers and street side shops pass right by her, igniting the memory of her own destroyed home. It would never look like that again any day, there was no hope-

A faint thump was heard by Elise's sensitive ears as she glanced upwards at the ceiling, confused slightly by the abnormality. Her eyes wandered across the roof until a movement suddenly caught them, the sunroof on the top of the train carriage wiggling a bit and cracking open, letting in a guest of loud air before slamming shut. But before it did so, a small aluminum canister was thrown in and nobody except Elise noticed. Instantly, the young girl closed her eyes and covered her ears.

Loud ringing echoed through the carriage as the canister of chaff went off, releasing a flood of non-toxic chalk into the air. The kids that were screaming a few seconds ago found themselves suddenly unable to speak as the chalk coated their tongues and rendered them numb for a few seconds. All the cameras and other recording equipment in the train suddenly lost all focus and imagery as the chalk obscured everything in sight. A fine white dusty layer covered everything in the carriage, with many coughing or just silent.

Elise, expecting the sudden attack, was spared her hearing and sight. But when she tried moving off the seat, a strong set of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her upwards. The young girl didn't even make a shout of surprise or shock as she was hoisted through the sunroof of the carriage and gently placed downwards.

"Hold onto me, okay?!" Jitsumi yelled with a huge grin, kicking the sunroof back in place and making sure it was stuck tightly. Elise nodded numbly as she felt the mercenary pick the young girl up again, this time having the small arms wrap around the black hair woman's neck and scarf.

With a grunt, Jitsumi leapt off the moving train and to a nearby rooftop, mindful of the ledge and girl she carried in her arms as she landed on the top. Her legs buckled slightly, but there was no need to risk a roll as the two landed without any complications. "You alright?" Jitsumi asked, placing Elise back down onto the ground.

"…I'm not hurting right now…" The young girl muttered shyly, obviously afraid of her captor but Jitsumi merely smiled and patted her head.

"Relax! I've been asked by General Takeshi to pick you up for him."

"Really?" Elise suddenly turned and talked with an excited voice, finally thrilled by the change of events.

"Yep! Soon, you'll be going off on that new life he's going to give you! But first, here." The sister of Takeshi unwrapped the giant red scarf around her neck and gently circled Elise's neck with it. "It's cold, so I don't want you getting sick!"

"But what about you?" The young girl asked through the thick red fabric, feeling quite smug in it. "Won't you get cold too?"

"I'll be fine! C'mon, let's head to my apartment; my brother will pick you up a few days later."

O O O

**August 20****th****, Year 6**

"Again, Jitsumi, I can't stress how much you've helped me." Takeshi turned and looked at the excited Elise, who was quickly stuffing in a small suitcase everything she wanted around the apartment. Apparently, Jitsumi needed to donate clothes again but decided to tell Elise to take whatever she wanted before leaving for Central under Takeshi. "I'll make sure that you'll be sufficiently rewarded with a nice chunk of Terran credits. This is an important operation after all; a mercenary like you should be given pay."

"Well, thanks bro, but no thanks on that pay. Though I do have to admit, having Elise around was more a reward itself." Jitsumit giggled as she watched the young girl try to shut the obviously overstuffed travel case. Elise pouted for a few seconds before throwing back open the suitcase and started randomly throwing out clothes she didn't care much about. "She was nice to have around here, something to brighten up the world. Just promise me you'll take care of here, okay? I trust her future to you."

"Of course. Rorke and I will make sure she becomes the best of the best." The swordsman drained his cup of coffee quickly and stood up. "Alright Elise, are you ready to go?"

"Just about!" The young black hair girl responded eagerly. It was odd when one considered it. A child being so eager to become a part of a secretive arm of the military? Unheard of. "Just let me say goodbye to Auntie Ji first!"

"Sure," Takeshi agreed, leaning closer to his twin and asking under his breath. "Auntie Ji?"

"She doesn't like to call people by full names. I somtimes get that way" The female twin explained and the male nodded in understanding. Elise skipped over and held out her hands expectantly. Jitsumi smiled and returned the gesture by leaning down and giving a hug to her soon-to-be brother's experiment. She felt a familiar wool texture wrap around her neck and realized that Elise was rewrapping the red scarf from her back to the original owner's neck.

"Don't catch a cold now!" She teased and Jitsumi beamed, tossing the scarf back across her shoulder. "Okay, I'm ready now!"

"Let's go then."

O O O

"So are you excited to become a Ghost Elise?"

"…sure, I guess as I'll ever be."

"Huh? Where did all that enthusiasm from before go?"

"I miss the scarf already.

O O O

**December 23****rd****, Year 6**

"I'm so excited Takeshi! This is the first holiday I'll ever have with my twin!" Jitsumi cheerfully stated and Takeshi nodded in agreement, giving a slight smile at the sight of his other half dancing wildly around her small apartment. "Oh, can you imagine all the sake we'll be drinking? It'll be amazing!"

"I'm glad you feel that way," The spiky hair man replied, sipping at his cup of coffee as his mind wondered back to work. His colleagues would notice him missing, especially the Commander. What should he tell them? That he was seeing a woman? Possible family? It didn't matter though as it slipped out of his mind as Jitsumi grabbed his hand.

"Hey, let's dance!" She giggled, twirling her stunned brother around as holiday music blared through the small radio that Jitsumi bought for this occasion. A few seconds later, Takeshi rolled his eyes and indulged her by pretending to perform a waltz with her around the small living room. She laughed at how badly he tried and hoisted his stance upwards, guiding him as they danced among the clothes and furniture scattered around in the living room.

Before he realized it, Takeshi found himself grinning at the sight of his sister's gleeful face. He knew that this was definitely worth anything, just making his sister happy at something. The Terran General knew that, along with serving Commander Anthony, was among his greatest reasons to live and fight.

The doorbell suddenly rang and the two twins looked at each other, confused. Who could be visiting Jitsumi? Hardly anybody knew her personally in this city.

Takeshi, quicker to react than his sister, made his way quickly to the door and twisted the door knob, leaning against the wooden entrance without opening it. "Hello? Who is it?" The strategist asked cautiously.

"Oh, sorry, I think I've got the wrong apartment." Jitsumi's eyes slightly widened in recognition and she strode forward quickly, pushing aside her brother as the door was thrown open.

"Jack! You're back!" The black hair girl cheered as she threw her bare arms around her friend's neck in a hug. "I'd thought you forgotten about me!"

"Jitsumi? So I did get the right place!" His face light up with a confident grin as he was half-tackled by his best fighting partner, awkwardly holding out his hands as they were holding two cases of sake. "I was worried for a second there; thought that those mafia guys finally bumped you off while I was away!"

"Hah, not likely! Anyway, what're you doing here? I thought you would spend the holidays with your other mercenary buddies!"

"They've opted against relaxing for a few weeks and decided to take another job without me. So, upon discovering their betrayal upon my return, I thought, 'Hey! Why not drop in on Ji _and_ celebrate the holidays with somebody at the same time?' Couldn't have timed it any better myself!"

"Well, come on in then! I see you've bought sake! We're definitely going to party it up in here now!"

The man with slick hair laughed and stepped across the threshold with his eyes closed. But the minute he opened them, the dark brown pupils instantly narrowed at the sight of a hooded man in Jitsumi's apartment. The sake bottles were tossed into the air as Jack's suddenly free hands reached under his coat and pulled out what looked to be a modified blaster pistol from a hidden holster. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Woah!" Jitsumi exclaimed as she nimbly caught the flying bottles in her arms and set them on the table. She turned around for a brief second to do so and when she looked back, Takeshi had his sword half-drawn out of its sheath in a crouched position she recognized as the combat stance. "You two, settle down! I don't want to have to clean blood off my clothes tonight!"

"I should've known that Jack was _that_ man," Her twin growled, keeping his hands tightly on his blade and trigger without looking away. "You best be careful with him."

"Jitsumi, stay back! This man is a dangerous murderer!"

"Like you and your lot were any better."

"We spared the innocent in comparison to what you did!"

"Will you two SHUT UP AND PUT THE DAMN WEAPONS AWAY ALREADY!?" The female mercenary shouted, her hands flicking to the pouches at her belt and drawing out two kunais- throwing knives from Hanar. Her arms were a blur as she throw the knives at the katana and blaster pistol, knocking them both out of their owner's hand as they were caught surprised by the sudden attack. "Jack, meet Takeshi! Takeshi, meet Jack! You two are friends now! Understand?"

"Ji…why?" Jack sighed and picked up the scratched pistol, tucking it back under his coat as he stared down his former opponent. "Why did you have to bring him here?"

"I'm her brother. Is there a problem with that?" Takeshi coldly replied, picking up his sword and letting it drop back into his friend's invention. "I have every right to be here. You? I doubt any particularly good reason."

"Hey, I'm a good friend! I got her out of Hanar and helped her set up a new life here in the Terran Empire!" The man fiddled with his scarf-tie, obviously uncomfortable by Jitsumi's twin's presence. "You on the other hand…I've seen you commit unspeakable things in the name of honor."

"That was a long time ago." Takeshi's hands balled into fists as he remembered that event Jack was talking about. He remembered with acute details that moment- the metallic taste of the air, the singing of his katana, the terrified faces of the children. "My sins are great, I'll admit. But, in the end, I've made forward contributions to society under Commander Anthony. It doesn't lessen the pain any bit, but at the very least, I have justified my actions."

"Yeah, yeah, so you say." Jack shook his head and turned to Jitsumi, pointing at her brother. "Are you sure this guy is your brother? You and him don't seem to share anything in the same way."

"Well, why don't you look under his hood? Takeshi, please."

"And I was so prepared to wear this the entire night." The man reluctantly lifted his hands to his face and flipped the green hood covering his face, brushing aside the black bangs that obscured his sleep-deprived eyes. Jack let out an odd noise upon seeing the face, glancing between Jitsumi and Takeshi. "What?"

"You two are twins!" The mercenary realized as he compared their features in his mind. "Holy cow! You both have the same hair color, same eyes, same nose, heck, even the same way you two hold yourselves in a combat stance is the same!"

"No, really?" The two chorused sarcastically, both their eyebrows shooting upwards in mock surprise. "It's not like we're related or something!"

"Geez, give me a break alright?" Jack rolled his eyes and walked over to the kitchen table, snatching one of the sake bottles and uncorking it. "You know what? Screw it. I'm going to get drunk tonight just so I don't have to bear with this utter mind screwing."

"I agree. No way am I going to ever accept you as a future brother-in-law."

"…what?"

"I've already had a few drinks earlier, alright?!"

O O O

**June 19****th****, Year 7**

"Takeshi?" The strategist looked up from his desk as his colleague and friend Rorke poked his head around the door. "I don't know how to say this, but you have a visitor."

"What? Who?" Takeshi asked, confused by the declaration. Nobody ever visited him at while he worked. Heck, nobody visited him where he lived! Who in the right mind wanted to try and meet with the strategist of the Terran Empire?

"Some girl, claims to know you. Now that I think about it, you two look oddly similar." The scientist General's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities. "Who is she? Is she your…woman? It's pretty audacious for her to come visit your during work, unless she wants to kill-"

"And it's pretty audacious to talk about someone behind their backs."

Rorke gave a yelp and toppled into Takeshi's office in surprise, cracking his head against the desk in the process. The man wearing a green coat sighed in relief as he recognized Jitsumi standing in his doorway, a grin set just above her scarf as she strode broadly in and stepped over the groaning scientist. "Hello."

"Hello to you too! So this is where you work!" The black hair girl looked down at the hurt green hair man, shaking her head in disapproval. "Your friend is certainly paranoid. He immediately threw me and Nathaniel into a holding room after seeing me! Claimed that I was 'an assassin.' Know anything about that?'

"Yeah, he's just…paranoid. Rorke, meet Jitsumi." The black hair man stood up and walked past his desk, crouching down and looking at his friend in the eye. "You conveniently omitted the 'holding room' part. Mind explaining why?"

"Ugghhhh."

"Good enough." Takeshi extended a hand and Rorke gratefully accepted, albeit sloppily as the scientist was pulled to his feet and shoved into a chair. "Now, what are you doing here? And who is this Nathaniel?"

"Oh, that's right!" Jitsumi made her way to the door and looked around the corner. "It's alright now, you can come in. Yes, I'm sure they'll like you! Don't worry a single bit, okay?"

As Jitsumi turned back to her twin, a boy wearing what could be called rags entered Takeshi's office. He was young and thin, but he held himself in a bearing that made the Terran General think he was a well raised kid. But there was no questioning that this boy saw things he shouldn't have seen, for those images practically danced in his dull and lightless eyes.

The grey hair was a dead give-away as well. Just how much stress had he gone under?

"Let me introduce you two!" Jitsumi announced. "This is-"

"Hold it. Allow me to test him already," Takeshi interrupted, causing his sister to get cut off mid-sentence. She pouted slightly, but gave a slight nod and stepped back, fidgeting her red scarf as the two stared at each other. "What is your name?"

"Nathaniel." The boy's voice was surprisingly crisp and well accented. "Just call me Nathaniel."

"I see. Why are you here?"

"Because…I want to join the Ghost Program."

Takeshi turned and glared at a sheepish Jitsumi, a burning question in his eyes. "I found him in a refugee camp not far from where I was working at the time," She explained hastily. "Even during that first meeting, as I talked to him, he instantly struck me as the type of person Elise was. Cold, yet loyal. So I offered to bring him here and he accepted. No parents or family to look after him."

"I hope you do not make this a habit." The strategist sighed and refocused on Nathaniel, taking in the determination that was burning in his eyes. "What makes you think I'll take you on for the Ghost Program? Convince me of your resolve."

"I am…no, was the son of General Curt. You may not know him by name, but he was the man in charge of Bagia's military during the Fool's War. That war is aptly named, for he was indeed a fool himself."

"So quick to criticize the father." Takeshi gave a harsh and mocking laugh as he remembered his own situation with his father. "Well? Your position doesn't instantly guarantee admittance, if that's what you were expecting. Bagia is dead anyway, meaning that your position means nothing."

"I still have yet to explain my reason being here." Here, the boy took in a deep breath, steeling himself for his next words. "I…wish to atone for my people."

"What?"

"Do with me what you will in the name of the Terran Empire even if I am not accepted. My father's sins are my sins as his blood flows through me! I wish to become a Ghost for this reason!"

"…"

"I don't care what you need me to do! Just give the word or nod and I will carry it out for the Terran Empire! There's no way I'm ever going to back to that hellhole that was my country!"

"Nathaniel! Language!" Jitsumi scolded, placing her gloved hands on her hips. "What did I say about using strong words?"

"Oh, sorry Miss Jitsumi!"

"…very well. Rorke, test him. I know you have the equipment to do so right now."

"Fine, fine," The scientist grumbled, shakily standing up and extracting a sealed syringe from his lab coat. He broke open the seal, ensuring that it was sterile before kneeling down to Nathaniel level and pressing the metal needle against the boy's skin. He looked upwards for consent (not that he really need it anyway) and Nathaniel nodded, then winced as the skin was broken and the vein was pierced.

A second later, Rorke slowly extracted the syringe and pulled it out from the boy's skin. The open wound bled, but Nathaniel merely let it do so, knowing from experience that it would heal soon. The tip of the syringe was carefully maneuvered as he pulled out a tablet from under his lab coat and popped open a compartment, revealing a glass vial within the mechanisms of the machine. With a pop, the tip pierced the thin yet tight plastic that covered the vial and Nathaniel's blood flowed inside.

When the vial was full, Rorke carefully wrapped the syringe in a tissue using one hand and placed it in his coat, a pocket he knew was filled with materials to be disposed of properly. But what matter now was his tablet. The scientist swiped a few times and began scanning the blood sample for its contents. "Okay, seems normal…I can see a few impurities, but nothing that can't be taken care of…aha! Energy molecules are indeed present, and by looks of it, they match Elise's readings prior to processing. He's all set!"

"Well, it looks like you did find us another Ghost volunteer," Takeshi admitted as he turned to his sister. "Nice job. I'll see to it that you are rewarded in kind."

"Please, no. I'm just happy enough knowing that I've helped somebody else escape a horrible life and enter a better one." Jitsumi laughed and closed her eyes, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment as she talked. "No money is needed…besides, I find it a bit odd accepting money from turning in children."

"Are you sure?" Takeshi's eyes narrowed at how lax his sister was about payment. "Say…what was your last job? The one where you found Nathaniel."

"Um, I was paid to guard some merchant's jewel shipments through an area. Found Nathaniel during one of my break times. Now for a question of mine: why do I look so different in that picture?" The girl pointed at a framed photo of herself on Takeshi's desk, but she looked completely different with brown hair and a blue scarf.

"Camerashopped the picture to protect your privacy. Alright, that's pretty much all I need to know. Thank you for your aide."

"No problem bro!"

"Wait a second, I have a question!" Rorke frantically cried, waving his arms rather comically. "How in the world did you escape from the holding room? It's completely airtight and the only way in or out is the main door, which is guarded and under additional electronic surveillance!"

"Oh, a girl's gotta keep some secrets. See ya!"

O O O

**March 29****th****, Year 8**

_Knock knock._

"Coming!" The swordsman sighed and tapped his foot as he waited for his twin to open the door. He glanced slightly to the side at his companion, but he didn't make any other reaction otherwise. A few seconds later, the sound of locks unlocking was heard and a black hair girl with a red scarf appeared in place of a wooden door. "Takeshi! You've finally come to visit me!"

"Hello Jitsumi. Sorry for not visiting during the holidays, I had some business to attend to. I hope you got my present though."

"Yeah, that eye patch looked really cool! I wore it for a while and the kids loved it. Thanks for sending it! Please, come in!"

"Well, first of all…I'm here on business." The swordsman took in a deep breath and stepped aside to reveal to his sister his companion standing behind him. "May I introduce Commander Anthony of the Terran Empire?"

"W-w-hat?" The mercenary stuttered in surprise, quickly making a bow at the sight of powerful leader. "Oh, hello sir! It's an honor to meet you!" She squeaked, her voice shaking as her body maintained the servile motion in respect.

"Hello Jitsumi. It's nice to finally meet you." Anthony smiled and extended his hand, offering a handshake to the sister of his subordinate. Jitsumi took the handshake while still bowing, not looking up as her hand touched Anthony's. With a slight sigh of exasperation, the black hair man reached forwards with another hand and grabbed Jitsumi's shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. "There's no need for formalities! We're not at a public event or anything overly complicated. Treat me like your brother here."

"Um, okay." Jitsumi straightened up and gave a nervous grin, obviously taken off guard by her new guest. She glanced at her twin, who merely shrugged in a manner of indifference. "Would you like to come in? I just finished making some tea if you'd like."

"Yes please. Takeshi, would you join us as well?"

"Of course."

A few minutes later, Jitsumi came upon the realization that this may be the most baffling scene in her entire life: the most powerful man in the Terran Empire sitting with one leg over another on her clothes-covered couch, sipping tea from a mug as her brother stood next to him, eyes scanning the normally familiar apartment for any possible threats. "Is the tea to your liking?" She nervously asked, not knowing about the Commander's charismatic likings.

"It's great. Just as expected from a sister of one of my trusted friends."

"_Friends?_" Jitsumi mouthed to Takeshi. "_You two are friends?!_"

"_So he insists_," Her brother's lips moved in response. He cleared his throat in a respectful manner and spoke. "Commander, you had business here?"

Anthony waved off his friend's attempt at a punctual conversation. "Yes, yes, but I want to get to know your sister better! She's obviously a very selfless woman who seeks happiness for all." The twin blushed furiously and Anthony nodded, but noticed how uncomfortable the two siblings were in his presences. "But if you don't mind Jitsumi…"

"Of course not! Ask me what you want from me and I'll help!"

"I want to hire you for a job." The request was blunt and straightforward to Jitsumi, and so she instinctively responded with her standard answer to any job offer. A blunt, straightforward response.

"Tell me and I might just be interested in your proposal." Immediately, Jitsumi covered her mouth in embarrassment as she realized the lack of tact she had when talking to Commander Anthony. "Sorry! I mean, I want to say, I meant to say, I was trying to say-"

The Terran Commander gave a hearty chuckle at Jitsumi's fumbling and turned to his strategist. "I see that bluntness runs in the family! It's a good trait to have, right Takeshi?"

"It depends on the situation sir."

"Anyway, I'll tell you more." Here, Anthony placed down his teacup and placed his hands together, looking every bit the leader of the world had he not been sitting on a messy leather couch. "Takeshi and the War Pigs squad have been tasked with the mission of an anti-crime division. They are to counteract any organized crime within the Terran Empire, especially in the big cities."

"Wow, really?" Jitsumi turned and looked at her brother with newfound respect in her eyes. "I didn't know you were fighting crime outside Tate as well!"

"It's a little known secret, and I'd prefer to keep it that way," Takeshi firmly said, adjusting his grip on the katana's handle. "If you don't mind, I'd like it if you don't say anything about that as well. I just hate people who can't advance due to something like corrupted criminals in charge of a city."

"Takeshi has already been reporting mild success in these battles, but I want to take it up a notch. That's where you come in Jitsumi," Anthony announced and the black hair girl blinked in surprise. "You have more experience than Takeshi when it comes to fighting these people. Are you willing to consider a position on the team as an outside consultant?"

"Um, I guess so. I don't know what makes you think I'll be any good-"

"Sis, you're a great fighter and have been fighting against the mafia here in Tate _alone _for who knows how long." Her twin strode forwards and placed a hand on his sibling's shoulder, giving a reassuring look from underneath his hood. "I wouldn't want anybody but you at my back…especially not that idiot Cain."

Somewhere in Central, a blond man sneezed rather uncharacteristically.

"Takeshi…if that's what you want from me, I'll do it." Jitsumi looked at her brother's eyes and gave a firm nod of determination. "I'll back you up like how you backed me up in our first fight. While I'm around, you never need fear for your life!"

The two siblings stared at each other for a few more moments before remembering their amused guest of honor. In sync, they both turned and bowed low in the exact same motion as mortified looks appeared on their faces. "Sir! I'm so sorry for forgetting!"

Anthony laughed and stood up, ruffling his trench coat as he prepared to leave. "It's no problem. I was just about to get going anyway. Takeshi, I'll leave the manner of payment up to you. Know that you have full access."

"Thank you sir."

"Well, it was nice meeting you. Thank you for the tea by the way." To Jitsumi's great surprise, the Terran Commander took her hand and bowed low, imitating perfectly Hanar's gesture of respect. "I hope to meet you again in the future."

"Thank you for visiting…Anthony!"

The black hair man smiled at the informal gesture and gave a brief wave as he showed himself out of the apartment. Once the wooden door closed behind him, both twins let out a breath of anxiety, having been tensed up in the presence of the most powerful man in the world. Jitsumi additionally groaned in relief and collapsed on her clothing-covered couch, letting her strained shoulder muscles relax. Takeshi looked on with a hint of sympathy. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Your friends really do take the energy out of others. I thought I was going to die if I said something wrong!"

"He'll do the complete opposite: laugh and say its fine. That man…he has a strange sense of trust in others that I see in you. He's even trusted me with his life once, despite me being a fresh recruit into the army."

"Well, I guess that shows how much he cares for the people around him."

"Indeed. Now, about payment-"

"No, no, I'll do it for free," The black hair girl interrupted, flipping her black hair clear of her red scarf in a smooth motion. "There's no need to pay me for something I would've done myself anyway. So-"

"Nope. You're taking the money," Takeshi announced and Jitsumi frowned. "There's no choice in the manner. You. Are. Taking. Payment."

"Takeshi, I said I'll do this for free! What part of that do you not understand?"

"The part about your finances." The girl felt her face slightly pale as the man pulled out a small crumpled sheet from his coat. She recognized it as her tax forms that she submitted earlier this year. "According to your paperwork, you are actually losing money each year despite the number of jobs you take. Why? Because you keep taking the low paying jobs."

Jitsumi made an odd choking noise in her throat and swallowed deeply. Crap, her brother knew about her money problems! Where was Jack when you needed him?!

"Jitsumi…are you afraid of killing people for money? Are you simply afraid that you'll sink to the level of those mafia scumbags by accepting money through shady dealings?"

"No." Her voice sounded tiny as the black hair girl answered, her bangs overshadowing her eyes. "I'm…not afraid to kill."

"Then what are you afraid of?" The man in a green cloak demanded. For a moment, there was only stillness in the air as high tensions stood between the two blood siblings. Then, it was broken as Jitsumi stood up from the furniture, rushed towards Takeshi and hugged him around the neck, sobbing into his cloak. "Jitsumi!"

"Brother…I'm afraid that I'm starting to _like_ the killings."

For once, Takeshi didn't have a response. Instead, he closed his eyes and returned the hug, feeling the weapons that Jitsumi carried despite being in her own home. He personally knew that there was only one remedy for bloodlust.

More blood.

O O O

**May 10****th****, Year 8**

"Ugh, when is the General going to get here?" Private First Class Will complained, checking his C-14 rifle again out of boredom. "We've been waiting in this stinking van forever now! And without our armor's AC! It's hell in here!"

"Will, it's been only five minutes since General Takeshi left us," Staff Sergeant Matthew dryly remarked. "I suggested you to this mission for your skills, not for your ability to complain like a newbie in basic training."

"Ouch, he's got you there Will!" Des grinned and slapped his friend's slumped back, thumping it with a closed fist. "Hey, look at it this way: he admits that you're a better shot than Henry!"

"I would take offense but…" The War Pig symbolically pumped his shotgun and the men inside the van laughed, obviously finding comfort in the joking before combat. But even now, Staff Sergeant Salem had an eye trained on the van's windows, looking for any sign of change. He found one now.

"Look sharp people. The General's back."

Like a knife cutting through warm butter, the light demeanor in the small room vanished as each veteran Marine made their own mental preparations for what was to come. Weapons were checked, ammo clips stashed, HUD goggles pulled down. Come hell or high water, they were ready for what may lie ahead.

With a quiet click, Salem eased open the van door and pushed it slightly out, just enough room for him to poke the barrel of a C-10 sniper rifle out the back. "Long live the Commander!" He shouted the challenge phrase, holding a finger close to the trigger.

"No need to be so formal," General Takeshi answered and Salem signaled. The van doors were fully pushed open as the five man vanguard team exited the black van, all the unarmored soldiers armed to the teeth with weaponry. "Status update Staff Sergeant."

"Sir. The building seems to have low levels of activity, but we have confirmed that this is indeed the main headquarters of the syndicate." With a nod from his superior officer, Will stepped forward and pulled out his tech tablet, showing the General snapshots of armed guards in business suits. "In addition, our HUDs have been updated with maps of the building. We have almost a quarter ton of breaching charges in the van, and our main War Pigs squad has been successfully deployed a few blocks from here, ready to contain if necessary. What are your orders?"

"Leave the breaching charges behind, we're not going to need them. My associate has already cleared the outlying guards, so we have a chance to walk straight into the boss' office. You have his face in your HUDs- shoot on sight." With that, the strategist turned around and began walking towards the building. The War Pigs exchanged glances of confusion before following their leader closely, an eye on the corners and a finger on the trigger. Soon enough, they found the gesture of security unnecessary.

"Holy son of a-!" Desmond muttered, swinging his AGR rifle around as the team entered a room. The walls were completely coated in a thin layer of red fluids, with the occasional shred of clothing stick out. Gore was splattered all around the room, with only broken bones attached to indicate that a person once stood here. "General, who did this?"

"My associate," The swordsman bluntly responded, ignoring the dismembered guard and stepping into the next room. Here, the assassination was far more merciful, a quick thrust into the mafia gunman's throat as the killing blow. Behind him, Takeshi could hear the War Pigs slightly mutter to themselves about the manner of these deaths. That was justified concern, especially as they stepped into the next room.

"My god!" Matthew exclaimed, staring at the still living guard on the floor. All of the man's limbs seemed to have been ripped and torn from his main body in a series of painful rending hits. His mouth was completely gone and in its place was just a bloody hole in his mouth, with a useless string of flesh just drooping out. Not even the eyes had been spared, as all that was there were two empty and bleeding sockets. But everybody could tell he was still alive from the way his abdomen spasmed on the slick floor.

With a swift sword swing, Takeshi ended the man's suffering by a beheading. "Let's move on," The Terran General ordered and the War Pigs were forced to turn their eyes away from the grotesque scene and to the next encounter.

As luck would have it, there were three still living and hostile gunmen in there. They all turned rapidly as the Terran strike team entered and raised their weapons. "All intruders must die!" The leader spat as their weapons barked bullets.

Years of combat experience kicked in automatically and the Terrans dived to the sides, taking cover behind the bloodstained walls. Salem and Matthew both tried poking their snipers around the corner, only to get driven back by the constant rattling of bullets against the concrete pillars. Will flinched as the enemy began to get smart and fired at the walls the most of the team were hiding behind. While they were made out of wood and plaster, the age of the building was beginning to tell as many bullets began to pierce through the ancient mixture.

"Sir!" The youngest War Pig yelled. "Your orders?"

"Keep down. They'll be distracted soon, so get ready!"

"What?"

Unbeknownst to the mafia members, a small metal canister was rolled at their feet from a figure in the shadows. With a loud hiss, the smoke bomb exploded and filled the entire room with phosphorus gas, obscuring the view of the gunmen and disorienting them. Seeing the distraction, Will and Des nodded to each other and stepped out of cover, gunning down the stunned foes and allowing the team to advance.

Now moving like a well-oiled machine, the strike team moved forwards in alert mode: slightly crouched, eyes glued to the weapon sights, fingers ready. They swept each room with efficiency, making sure they weren't ever caught off guard like the first encounter. If there was anyone in a business suit carrying weapons, they received a burst of gunfire in their face the minute they tried whirling around.

By the time they reached the heart of the syndicate headquarters, a trail of bullet casings and bullet holes littered the areas behind the Terran strike team. General Takeshi pressed himself against the side walls like the rest of the men, making sure that everyone was ready before drawing his blade and making a hand signal. Henry immediately pointed his shotgun downwards and fired, blowing apart the door's lock. Will followed up with kick to the door, slamming it open as he pointed his C-14 at the people inside.

Bad idea.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. DOWN!" The War Pig barked and his teammates complied, dropping down to the ground just as a hail of bullets came raining down upon them. "MG nest! We're pinned!"

"Bringing up reserves for support!" Salem shouted and Takeshi nodded in approval. With more manpower to flank the position, it should hopefully take out the boss before the criminals got smart and assaulted their prone positions. The Siege Tank General looked up just in time to see a glint of steel flash in the shadows above at the ceiling, and he knew that this fight was already over.

With catlike landing, Jitsumi dropped down from the ceiling and crouched behind the main gunner of the nest. When one of his comrades tried kicking, the girl grabbed the offending leg and pulled the rest of the body downwards, slamming the head back with a sickening crush. Then, she pushed upwards with her legs and became airborne for the brief second another criminal tried throwing a wild haymaker and ended up punching the main gunner instead. Jitsumi aimed her landing perfectly and landed on the downed man's neck, snapping it instantly with her boots.

Her hands flickered and suddenly, there were two trident-like daggers in her hands that she plunged sideways, into the chests of each criminal with lightning strikes. Blood gushed out of the newly opened wounds and the lifeless bodies fell to the floor, their eyes vacant as their hearts were pierced instantly by Jitsumi. But there was one man left for Jitsumi to deal with.

The boss. He was a well-rounded man with a business suit and cigar in mouth, looking every bit a company CEO, had he not been bearing an AGR rifle in his hands. With a roar, the man sprayed bullets at the stationary Jitsumi.

A green blur was seen as Takeshi dashed in front and, to his own surprise, started _slashing and deflecting the bullets_ as Jitsumi looked on with barely a hint of emotion in her eyes. He grunted as a few managed to get through his guard and gazed his cloak, leaving ripped clothing that would hopefully get sown up later on. "You good?" The swordsman asked with an uncharacteristically worried voice.

The black hair girl closed her eyes, but it was only for a second. When she opened them, they were blood red as she spoke in an ominously calm voice. "Let's dance."

Jitsumi bounded upwards and over her twin, landing in front with her sais out in front. The metal daggers were rapidly twirled as she ran forwards, imitating her brother as she blocked all the bullets coming her way. As the boss realized too late his mistake and tried to run, Jitsumi brought the sais downwards as she dashed past him, creating two giant gashes in the man's chest. But she wasn't done and back flipped, slashing and making two more identical wounds in the man's back, stopping before her sais exited the skin and landing on the man's shoulders.

With a twist and reversed grip, the blades were turned sideways and plunged into the syndicate boss' neck, cutting off his cry of pains with a gargle as blood flowed freely into his trachea. Yet Jitsumi wasn't finished as she ripped out her sais and kicked off the man's face, backflipping and landing on the bodies of his subordinates. Her hand flickered and three iron daggers appeared in the boss' chest, the body sinking down slowly as the multiple fatal wounds have finally taken their toll.

And Jitsumi still wasn't satisfied. Letting out an animalistic snarl, she dashed forwards and swung her blades, decapitating the head of the boss and kicking the body back. It was only then did the red haze in her eyes fade, her crimson eyes returning back to their original black color.

Takeshi didn't even realize until now that his sword was drawn and pointing at the monster that couldn't be his sister. His black ringed eyes narrowed in confusion and slight bewilderment at the sight of his twin in combat. That couldn't be her…her smiles, her caring for children, her love for nonviolence…where did it all go? His eyes locked on with hers. The meaning in those black orbs was clear. _This is my real self. I'm a monster, just like you._

Unlike their boss, the War Pigs weren't so hesitant. Salem shouted something incomprehensible to the two siblings. Gun barrels were immediately brought up, and before the Terran General could interrupt, the veteran Marines fired at his sister out of sheer habit.

Jitsumi leapt easily back and disappeared back into the shadows with a well thrown smoke bomb, confounding the HUD systems and ensuring her getaway. Nobody ever got a good glimpse of her face, especially at the range the two parties were at, so there was no fear for face recognition. The final nail in the coffin was Takeshi's command to ignore the mysterious assailant and to purge all military data acquired during the mission.

O O O

**October 26****th****, Year 8**

This time, Jitsumi simply pushed her way past General Rorke and went directly for her brother's office.

Takeshi looked up in shock as his sister appeared in the doorway of his office. Well, to be honest, he wasn't really surprised about the unannounced visit. That bit was almost normal now.

The shocking part was how she was completely drenched in blood.

"Jitsumi!" The strategist exclaimed, kicking his chair back and rushing to her side. "What happened to you?! Who did this?!"

The mercenary didn't reply and instead, she motioned to a body in her arms. It was a young boy with blazing red hair, covered in blood just as much as his abductor. "His name is Oliver. I believe he possess the necessary traits you need for a Ghost. Take care of him."

She unceremoniously lowered the boy to the ground, placing him on the now dirtied floor and then turned, leaving almost as abruptly as she left. Takeshi made to reach out to his twin, but just before his gloved hand could make contact with her shoulder, it paused and dropped back to the side. This wasn't something that blood bonds alone could fix. In the end, he simply asked one thing. "Where are his parents?"

Jitsumi paused in her step, turning around and facing her brother with dead eyes. "I killed them," The girl whispered with a sob and broke out into a run, pushing past poor and baffled Rorke again as she fled the building.

O O O

**December 25****th****, Year 8**

Tate was completely buried in snow today, so everybody stayed inside. It was logical for anybody with family or friends to simply stay at home with them, celebrating the end of another Terran year. Another year of prosperity and rapid growth in the Terran Empire, under the benevolent and giving hand of Commander Anthony and his beloved Generals. Sure, they may have to sacrifice a few things, but what did that matter when the Empire was booming?

It mattered everything to Jitsumi, who was moving through the icy streets without any protective clothing save her normal vest. Any normal Terran would have already been going into shock from the ridiculously low temperatures that Tate could sometimes experience during winter. But for the black hair girl, with the fiery blood that pounded in her, it was nothing but a constant wind beating against her soulless shell.

Her skin was ghostly pale and her eyes were little more than black beads carved into her face. Her clothes were sprinkled with bits of snowflakes and her scarf was wet, making her seem almost like an angel of death traversing the streets of Tate. Her weapon hilts were icy cold to the touch and her fingers had lost all feeling minutes ago. Jitsumi stared ahead with a dead look, lacking motivation to actually find her way home.

Ever since she'd bought Oliver to her brother, Jitsumi locked herself up in her apartment with the intention of simply wasting herself away to the point of death. She finally understood that she was not just any monster, but a blood hungry one. One who would kill a boy's parents just because they got in her way. Monsters like her shouldn't exist for the safety of this world.

People kept banging on her door and yelling, but she ignored them all and focused on her ever growing pains of hunger. Maybe, she thought, it would be over if the landlord finally kicked her out. But the man never came and Jitsumi suspected foul play at the hands of her stubborn friends.

Need and desperation finally drove the girl out of her lair and into the streets of Tate, looking for comfort in the form of drink. But the days passed with little count and she didn't realize it was the holidays until coming across the repaired and closed bar. From there on out, her last source of consciousness disappeared and now walked the soulless monster that haunted the empty streets of Tate.

Well, nearly empty. As Jitsumi rounded a corner, she found a group of well-dressed businessmen in trench coats waiting on the other end. All of them looked to be unarmed, but judging from the bulges under their winter attires, they weren't harmless at all. They were talking to each other, but at the sight of a poorly dressed girl in the streets, they all fell silent and looked at her with judging expressions. A full minute passed before Jitsumi finally broke the dead silence. "I suppose you're here to kill me," She asked with an emotionless expression, looking on with little care. "Go ahead. You'll be saving me from dealing with a few angry friends."

Almost immediately, the businessmen began to snicker and one of them stepped forwards, taking out a stubby cigar. He was fat and stout and was wearing a bowler hat that Jack had so charmingly nicknamed "The Big Boss Hat." "You think we're here to kill you?" The man scoffed, taking a deep drag from his cigar, a red dot in the snowy white expanse of the city streets. "That's the complete opposite thing we want you to do! We want you alive."

"For what? I've killed dozens of you- by all rights, you should gun me down on the streets here and leave it to Tate's lazy police force to figure out if the mysterious vigilante is really just a serial killer."

"Oh, no. You see…" The man gestured and his subordinates all revealed their weapons. Jitsumi's breath immediately hitched as she recognized their shapes. Hanarian swords, all varying sizes and thicknesses. "I want you to instruct my men in advanced sword techniques. They know the basics, but I want that special way of how you cut up men into itsy-little pieces."

"Well, first of all, you can't learn _that_. It's a blood inheritance thing," The girl tiredly explained. "I don't know the specifics, why don't you cut me up to figure it out? Heck, what makes you think that I'm going to cooperate with you?"

"I've heard from…associates in the Terran government that you look for scarred and helpless children for some classified project." The mafia boss rubbed his fingers together in a rather irritating and cocky way. "Here's the deal: you teach my men and I'll provide recruits that you can turn in for bounties from the Terran government. We win both ways. How does that sound?"

"That's…really sick." For the first time in a few months, Jitsumi's face warped into an expression of distaste and disgust. "I'll be no better than the mafia if I do that! I'm definitely not going to sink down to your level! You sicko!"

With a shrug, the man sighed and dropped his cigar into the snow in front of him. He took out of his pocket a small cellphone, one of the newest inventions of the Terran Empire. Jitsumi looked on with indifferent expression as he dialed a number using the stubby fingers and held the phone out in speaker mode. A few electronic rings later, a familiar voice answered the call. "_Hello?_"

At the sound, Jitsumi frowned. That was the caretaker of the local orphanage nearby. Why was this guy calling her-?

The ground suddenly rumbled as a huge explosion rocked the city of Tate, knocking down icicles and snowmen from the sudden motion. Jitsumi gave a slight yelp of surprise and realized, as she slowly looked around, there was a giant cloud of smoke coming from downtown Tate.

That was wear the orphanage was. And the air now ominously smelled like burning flesh. With a chilling feeling creeping down her scarf covered neck, Jitsumi turned and asked icily, "What did you do to them?"

"Oh, a bit of nitroglycerin, a bit of sulfur gas, and of course, a cellphone ignition," The man smirked and instantly, Jitsumi felt like vomiting. Did he just….no, he couldn't have! "Poor kids. This holiday was unfortunately the last one they would ever celebrate."

"YOU BASTARD!" The black hair girl screamed, tears dripping down her face as her soulless façade finally broke. Her hands flicked instantly and two sais appeared, twirling around in her gloved hands out of habit. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Nuh-uh!" The mafia boss typed in another phone number, but instead of hitting the call button, his finger hovered over it. "You see, I have more bombs. This phone number is linked to the dormitories of the Officer Academy in Central. I think it's best for you to-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as his arm suddenly became a stub, sliced cleanly off by a blade. The man looked at the bloody stump uncomprehendingly for a second before the pain hit him. Without any hesitation, he screamed like a stuck pig, letting his voice out in a single cry. An ironic comparison, as Jitsumi finished the job by sticking two pointy edges straight into his chest in a similar way. She yanked the bloodied weapons out and snarled, her eyes turning a crimson red color as she faced down at the swordsmen around her. "Who's next?!" She taunted.

Baddie number one came in swinging with very little regard to skill. Jitsumi easily dodged under his strikes and rammed a sai under his neck, causing him to go cross eyed just as his arms fell limp and the blade dropped to the floor. The body was kicked backwards as the dagger was pulled out, the corpse knocking into two of his comrades and staggering them.

Jitsumi took advantage of the stunned foes and rushed forwards, thrust her two weapons into the chests of the mafia and slaying them with a blade to the heart. From there, she pulled again and retrieved her sais, turning around just in time to block two simultaneous sword strikes from the others.

By deftly twisting and hooking the swords using the hilts of her sai, Jitsumi shoved and the blades were forcefully torn away from their owner's hands, making it almost too easy for her to reach for the kunais at her belt and throw them directly at the exposed throats. Only three more men still wanted to attack, Jitsumi noticed. The rest seemed to be fleeing, obviously scared by how easily their boss had been disposed of by a mercenary.

The next attacker had evidently more skill than all his previous friends as he attacked with multiple and quick strikes. Jitsumi was forced to give ground to block all the strikes, but she managed to get low and sweep her legs at his unsuspecting limbs. The mafia man fell and the girl finished him off with a stomp to his neck. She turned to her next foe-

_Bang!_ Suddenly Jitsumi felt something hot trickle down her side. But it couldn't be sweat, it was too cold for that! What was it? Her hand reached down and felt it, feeling a small hole in her abdomen regions as the liquid flowed. She brought up the gloved hand upwards and stared.

Blood.

_Bang!_ This time, her body felt the full impact of the bullet wound as she doubled over in agonizing pain, falling to the ground limply as her blood dyed the snow red around her. Her blood red eyes were gone now, replaced by only the ones she was born with. But even then, they were different.

They had the look of a terrified person. Scared, alone, afraid. Without friends, without family, without help as the girl lay helpless on the icy concrete ground. Already, her vision was flickering with spots of painful reality and inviting darkness.

"You bitch!" Jitsumi curled up and whimpered as a foot slammed into her wound, driving the bullets even further into her body. "You killed our friends!"

"Hey, I found the boss' phone!" The other mafia man said and the first one chuckled, taking the device and dangling it in front of Jitsumi's closing eyes.

"You know what? Screw the plan, let's just blow up the Officer Academy. That'll teach them not to mess with us!" The two laughed and held up the phone, making sure that there were four full bars before-

The noise of a chainsaw revving and a gunshot was heard as blood splattered all over Jitsumi's vision. One of the mafia slumped forwards, dead from a bullet shot in the back of his head, while his friend had the unfortunate pleasure of being on the receiving end of a chainsword. He looked at the giant blade sticking out of his gut and screamed in pain, only to be silenced as the gears within it went back to work and churned up his guts into chum.

With a swift motion, the corpse was sent flying across the street as Jack ridded his chainsword of his target and holstered his pistol. He pulled the trigger once to rev up the machine to shake off all the blood and guts off it before placing it on his back. "Dammit Ji…You really had me worry there! That was a hell of a close call!"

"Ja…ck…?

"Hey, stay awake now! Don't close your eyes! Gah, where's that stupid phone gone now?"

O O O

**January 1****st****, Year 9**

"Out of my way!" General Takeshi roared, shoving aside the nervous doctors and even tempered nurses. "I want to see Jitsumi!"

"Sir, with all due respect, I understand your worry, but-"

"I said, OUT OF MY WAY!" The man bellowed, kicking down the ward's door and rushing in. "Jitsumi!"

His sister, oh how his heart ached to see her like this! Her eyes was closed, her mouth covered by a mask, and her worryingly bony arms all bandaged up. It was weird not seeing her signature red scarf (draped over the bed's edge) not wrapped around her. Takeshi wanted to cry out in agony at the sight, to get on the ground and beg for the doctors to fix her up, to make her the way she was again!

A man was sitting on a chair next to the bed and he stood up. It was Jack, Jitsumi's colleague and friend. "Glad you could make it," The slick hair mercenary firmly said.

"Dammit…what is she suffering from?"

"First of all, severe malnutrition." Jack sighed and looked down at his slumbering friend, unable to believe her self-description of a monster. "Poor Ji's been starving herself for months. As a result, her body is frail and weaker than it should be when she fought."

"And…I heard there were bullets…

"Unfortunately, yes. She was shot twice in the abdomen just before I got there. The doctors say that they managed to remove the bullets from her, but…there is lasting damage."

"Perhaps I'll take over now." An aged man wearing spectacles appeared at the door, looking at the two men in his patient's room rather disapprovingly. "My name is Doctor Watt. I'm in charge of Jitsumi. Which one of you is her brother?"

"I am," Takeshi claimed and the doctor's eyebrow shot upwards. "I don't care if this ruins me as a General, I want my sister alive-!"

"Well, she'll definitely live. However, her wounds combined with malnutrition have caused heavy damage to her respiratory system. I'm afraid she's going to be leading quite a quiet life now."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now, we're actually not that sure. She's stuck in a coma as of now, and we can't predict when she'll wake up. But we do know that for every single second of her life, Jitsumi will be in agonizing pain whenever she breathes. There's no way she'll be able to live outside the hospital or without aid now."

Takeshi's shoulder slumped and he collapsed into Jack's chair, pressing his hands to his face. Quiet sobs of both relief and pain leaked out from the muffled voice, but the strategist looked calm as he looked back at Doctor Watt. "I'll pay for any bills. There is no question about payment."

"Of course. And you won't have to worry sir- I've taken precautions and made sure that Jitsumi is off public radar. That way, nothing will pressure your sister and thusly you."

"Thank you Doctor Watt. I'll figure out a way to repay this debt one day."

"Just doing my job sonny. Now, visiting hours are about to end, so say your goodbyes and wait for another day." With that, the man in a doctor's coat left the room and Takeshi was left alone with Jack. The two simply looked at the sleeping girl, watching her sporadic breathing into the mouth mask and noting how her eyelids flickered in her coma. Eventually, Jack cleared his throat and talked.

"I'm pretty set for money right now, so I can watch over Jitsumi while you work on important international affairs Takeshi. I'll call you in case anything arises and needs your attention, okay? Don't worry, I'll make sure no harms comes to her."

"…Jack, thank you for saving my sister's life." Takeshi held out a hand and Jack accepted the handshake, a moment of respect passing between the two before the green cloaked strategist exited the room.

O O O

**December 15****th****, Year 9**

Almost an entire year had passed, but Jack was still sitting beside Jitsumi's bed, watching her slumber restlessly in her cathartic state. His heartstrings tug slightly at the sight of her bare hand, a rare scene considering that Jitsumi loved wearing gloves everywhere she went. Tiny little white scars crisscrossed her pale skin, markings that she would be cursed to bear for the rest of her life.

It ached Jack to see these scars, for it reminded him of a life Jitsumi had once tried turning away from. There was no doubt Jitsumi was one of the kindest people he'd ever met in his entire career as a mercenary. She didn't deserve this lifestyle!

At this mental exclamation, Jake's hands reached forward and grabbed Jitsumi's limp limb, holding it in the air as the mercenary bowed his head. "For what it's worth Ji…I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you started breaking down," The man muttered, pressing her cool hand against his forehead as he leaned in closer. "I think if I were around, I'd help by laughing off all the sadness. But no, I had to let my love for money get in the way- more paychecks, less friends."

He gave a bitter bark before continuing his apology. "They're all doing well by the way. Last I heard, they were going off to that new world that was discovered- Meriah, or something like that. Said something about a bountiful market. They offered, but I turned them down just to stay with you.

"You better make up to me somehow…but I already feel you have." Jack sighed and released the hand, letting it drop softly to the white sheets as he leaned back. "I'm always going to be in your debt, aren't I? You're so insistent on keeping me under your control…"

"…it's not my fault…" A faint murmur was heard and the mercenary suddenly toppled back in his chair, startled by the sudden voice.

"What?" He looked and there were Jitsumi's eyes, blinking open slowly but surely as she gasped for breath in her mask. Without any hesitation, he slammed the call button next to the bed.

O O O

**December 20****th****, Year 9**

"So…she's awake?" Takeshi slowly asked, taking a long drink from his cup of water. "She's no longer in a coma?"

"Thankfully no. She is now conscious and is surprisingly fully functional with all her body," Doctor Watt reported as he cut up the final steak piece and stuck it into his mouth, chewing and nodding in appreciation. "This is good. Just as I'd read about."

The two were meeting in one of Central's best restaurants, an informal gathering for the twin to hear about news about his sister. He'd been far too busy to visit her as of now, especially with the operations in Meriah, but he sorely wished to do so with all due haste. It was practically torturing Takeshi to not know the exact specifics about how Jitsumi is as of now.

So he invited Doctor Watt to travel to Central to tell him personally about Jitsumi's condition. It may seem a bit excessive, but the aged man had wanted to dine in this restaurant for a while and Takeshi decided to kill two birds with one stone. "How is she feeling? Is she still depressed?"

"Completely the opposite. She's be quite optimistic about her new limitations, saying that she was just happy enough to know she was alive." The utensils were placed down on the empty plate and the doctor placed his chin on his hands, looking at the Terran General with judging eyes. "Her friend, Jack, he visits her every day and I can hear laughter coming from her room whenever he's in."

"Then he's a good man. If he can make Jitsumi smile, then he's doing a better job than I can right now." Takeshi fell silent as he nursed his cup, his shadowed head bowed as Doctor Watt looked on. "I really need to travel to her one of these days. It's a sin not to care about family enough to go to them."

"You've seen quite a lot, haven't you? Anyway, I'll be Central for a few more days. If you have any more questions about your sister's condition, you know my number." The man cleared his throat and stood up, grabbing his shabby looking coat and placing it on. Just before he left the booth, the doctor reached under his coat and pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper and string. "Speaking of which, your sister wanted me to give you this."

Curious, Takeshi took the parcel and slowly unwrapped it, unsure about what was inside. He found a bunch of packing paper within, and after excavating it all out, the strategist found a small metal device within. Turning it around and examining it carefully, Takeshi realized that it was one of those odd new cellphone devices. He looked at Doctor Watt, who merely shrugged in indifference before leaving the Terran General alone at the booth.

With a few cautious button presses, Takeshi managed to turn on the phone and access the contact list without smashing it to pieces. He smiled at the top contact on the list, knowing for a fact now that it had to be Jitsumi who sent this phone. _Tate Medical Hospital._

He pressed the green phone button and lifted the metal device to his ear, listening to the ringtone emitting from it for a few seconds. He patiently waited as the dial tone rang, eventually getting a response. "_This number is currently unavailable. Please leave a message at the tone…_"

The General sighed in disappointment and pressed the red button. Maybe another time. He signaled to the waiter for the check, paid in full with a nice tip (he was in a good mood now), and left the restaurant.

Exiting the fancy eatery, Takeshi checked the time using a nearby broadcast board and noted that the Commander's Annual Holiday Dinner would still be going on right now. He could make it if he hurried there. And so, Takeshi walked briskly to his civilian vehicle of choice: A Bike Cruiser.

It was similar to a Terran vehicle years ago that few remembered as the motorcycle, but this was an evolved form of it. Instead of having a vulnerable and open top like the motorcycle, the Bike Cruiser had a closed roof that protected the rider within. Additionally, it had a far more powerful engine and bigger chassis than any of previous related model, meaning that zooming down the street in one was certainly exhilarating with the speeds the machine could reach to.

Takeshi used the Bike Cruiser in a more sensible manner, and that was to get from Point A to Point B. However, that didn't mean he had to settle for a slow and purposeful machine like his colleagues preferred. With a grunt and a rev, the General climbed into the vehicle and took off the minute the glass cover slide into place over his back.

Using the extreme speeds of the bike, Takeshi was able to traverse from the Heart of Central to the rural city limits of Fale, where Anthony lived and hosted his dinners. The deafening roar of his bike cruiser filled the swordsman's ears as he pushed the bike to greater speeds, zooming past the occasional car or making an occasional turn. As he got closer to the mansion, the General frowned as he noticed an awful lot of cars screeching as they pulled out of the driveway. People were leaving already? But there was easily still another hour left in the dinner.

Eventually, his eyes picked up the very sudden and rapid movements the guests were making, a show of frantic panic as they fled Anthony's residence. They were all shouting and yelling one thing as they shoved each other: "Somebody's been shot! Assassin!"

With a growing sense of dread in his gut, Takeshi sped into the driveway of the mansion, weaving his way through the diplomat cars and making a sudden stop just outside the doorway. The top slide open and the General leapt out, swiping the bike's keys as he rushed inside. Pushing aside the panicking diplomats, Takeshi made his way into the foyer and quickly scanned, a hand on his katana hilt as he moved through the house.

Through luck or fortune, General Takeshi managed to find the camera room almost immediately. Inside, he saw his colleague General Cain and the mysterious Princess Xana bending over a body that his heart stopped upon recognition. It was the Commander. "Cain, what the hell!" The man yelled, looking around for any more assailants just in case. "I heard gunshots and shouting of an assassin, I thought you had this place secured-"

"Never mind that!" The Marine replied back, pressing his fingers to the Commander's jugular vein. Takeshi blinked at the firm determination in Cain's voice, but ignored it and focused on his words. "Go and get a doctor! I don't care who, just get one!"

"Don't think you've escaped the consequences! And we're lucky: I happen to know an excellent doctor who's in town." The Siege Tank pilot quickly reached into his cloak and pulled out the cellphone Jitsumi just sent him. Ignoring the looks of surprise from the two, Takeshi quickly dialed in the number of the only doctor he knew. "Hello? Doctor Watt? I need you over at the Commander's Palace right away! We've got somebody in a critical condition!"

"_What? Who is it?"_

"Who? The Terran Commander!"

O O O

**July 14****th****, Year 10**

"And there we go!" Jack cheerfully said as Jitsumi gently leaned off him and sat down on the wooden bench. The mercenary made sure his friend was comfortably seated before taking up a spot next to her, stretching his arms and placing one over her shoulders. "That one was way easier! You're getting better at this."

"Well, I would think so." The black hair girl remarked, looking up to the flowering trees above her and folding her hands on her lap. "This is what, my third outing? I should be walking by myself now!"

"Nope. Doctor's orders."

"Aww…" Jitsumi pouted, but the expression quickly turned into a gentle smile as the two soaked in the summer afternoon around them. After waking up, Jitsumi had spent a few more months lying in bed and recovering all her strength before she was deemed ready for physical therapy. Months of staying in a hospital cot had all but robbed her legs of the ability to walk, so it was necessary for somebody to aid her and act as a pole to lean on during such brief leaves of the hospital. Jack eagerly volunteered for this position.

Now, the two were sitting in a park near the hospital, observing and enjoying the sound of crickets around them. Jitsumi closed her eyes as she did so, placing a hand over her heart in pure instinct. Immediately, the gesture inflamed her wounds and she started to cough, blood spitting out of her mouth as she bent over.

"Woah, woah!" Her friend noticed the sudden movement and quickly pushed her back on the bench, making sure her breathing calmed down to normal as the pain faded from her abdomen. "You alright? I thought the nurse said you were fine to go out!"

"I am. It's just these blasted fits," Jitsumi bitterly remarked, taking out a napkin from one of her belt pouches and wiping away the blood she spat up. Jack had amazingly managed to retrieve some proper clothing from her apartment, meaning that the girl wasn't forced to constantly wear the stupid and vulnerable hospital gown anymore. "Get used to it, cause they're here to stay as a reminder I could die so easily."

"Hey now, don't get all down!" The brown hair man patted his friend's shoulder, getting her to look at his confident grin. "Think of this as a...damn, am I really going to have to say this? A second chance at life."

"…I guess so."

"So be grateful you're still kicking and pissing people off! You only get one chance to do this ya know?"

"Now that you mention it, I do like making people angry." The girl giggled and Jack nodded in satisfaction. He broke her depression spell before it got too serious. "I only wish that I could take on jobs again."

"That's not going to happen with me around. I don't want you dying on me, you hear?" He sighed and stood up, brushing off a few stray leaves on his coat and tousling Jitsumi's hair. "Hey, I'm going to make a quick call okay? Stay here and don't wander off like a lost bunny."

"It's not like I can with my legs! Ass!" Jitsumi rolled her eyes as her friend merely shot another grin her direction before flipping open a cellphone and dialing. She slumped in the bench and sighed, swinging her legs back and forth experimentally. Truth be told, she could walk just as normally now, but it still ached her body every time she did so. And why was everybody so concerned about her condition? Sure, she could die from overexertion. But that's only if she were to do something really stupid, like run into her own phosphorus gas.

"Hey," A familiar voice caught Jitsumi's attention and she turned quickly to the side, a wide smile breaking on her face as a man in a green cloak sat beside her on a bench. "Sorry I couldn't come visit very often these days."

"Brother!" She gave a slight hug and Takeshi returned the gesture, patting his sister's hair as they embraced. "It's alright if you don't visit often, cause you call me like every other night!"

"Well, I have to make sure that you're alright," The male twin justified, giving a rare grin as he looked from under his hood at his sister. "Everything okay here? Any problems or complications? I see you're beginning to walk."

"Yeah, I'm happy about that. Can you imagine me stuck in a wheelchair?" The girl giggled, grabbing her brother's hand and leaning sideways. She gave a quick peck on his cheek as she leaned against his shoulder. "I'm really glad you came anyway."

"That's good to hear," The man commented, looking at the preoccupied Jack who was standing only a few meters away.

"Aren't you busy at work though? Last I heard, relationships with our ally Terrazine are heating up," Jitsumi asked with a concerned voice. "Don't they need you out there on the public stage?"

"Yes, but I can always take time to see my sister. I have to be there for her after all."

"You really shouldn't do that though!" The female mercenary exclaimed, pushing away from Takeshi and lightly shoving him on the back. "Get back to Central first! This is something you simply can't turn away from!"

"If it's for you, yes I can."

"No, you can't!" Jitsumi crossed her arms and glared at her twin, her eyes hard. "This is serious! You need to go help the Terran Empire maintain peace! Then, you can see me!"

Takeshi sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glancing again at Jack. It looked like he was just about finishing his call. "Fine. How long will you wait for me to resolve this thing first though? When do you want me to visit?"

At the question, Jitsumi gave a smile as her brother stood up from the wooden public furniture. "Takeshi…I'll wait forever if need be. Now, go finish your job!"

"Alright, I'll take care of this as fast as possible then. Give me a second to talk to Jack first through."

"Sure, but just don't take too long! If war breaks out, then I'll come to Central myself to punch you!"

"Right, right!" The General chuckled at his sister's threat and walked towards her friend. Jack was just flipping his phone shut as Takeshi reached him, the General already switching back into professional family mode. "What are your plans with my sister?" The hooded man asked once making sure Jitsumi was out of earshot.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Jack gave an odd look to his friend's brother, trying to make sense of the demand. "What are you saying?"

"Exactly what I'm saying. What are your plans with my sister when I'm away?" The swordsman asked once again, tapping his foot. "Well?"

"I'm not sure." Beads of sweat were beginning to appear on Jack's forehead as he realized the amount of pressure he suddenly was place under. "I was just planning to…have her live with me."

"Excuse me?"

"I can provide for both of us using the payment from the jobs. She could maybe even work something safe, like a caretaker for children. Nice and simple."

"Then what?" Takeshi demanded, stepping forwards and glaring at the man so close to his sister. "How will you take care of her?"

"You marvelous son of a bitch...Fine, okay? Here." Jack glanced at Jitsumi, who still wasn't paying attention, before reaching into a coat pocket and pulling out a small black box. He cracked it open and Takeshi felt his heart stop and his sword hilt suddenly looking more attractive.

A beautiful ring.

"I…love her. I'm sorry, but I just love her!" The mercenary frantically whispered, keeping an eye on his future fiancée. "I don't care what you think, I want to stay with her for the rest of my life! Even if it means taking on the most despicable of jobs, I'll make her happy!"

Takeshi was stunned at the man who was pouring his heart out. Marriage? His sister? Jitsumi? The implication of a sentence, for the first time of his life, was too giant for his brain to wrap around and his mind just shut down. After a few abnormal croaks of surprise a General of his status should not be making, the strategist muttered two things.

"Propose soon. You have my blessing." With that, he took off, trying all too hard not to imagine his twin and that man having kids- wait, too late.

If he was going to be an uncle, he'd better shape up with this Terrazine affair! It would not do if they were to be raised in a time of uneasiness!

O O O

**July 17****th****, Year 10**

"Oh my god, this is horrible!"

"Can you believe it? Those monsters!"

"I hope everything's all right over there in Fale!"

Hearing the frantic whispers of the nurses, Jitsumi frowned and got out of the hospital bed, slightly wincing as her legs protested the move. But she managed to move forwards without coughing out her guts, so that was a relief. Stealthily, she moved to the door and pressed her ear against it, not wanting to let the women know she was listening in.

"How could this happen? First a solar flare that knocked out a lot of cities in the Terran Empire, thank god Tate was spared, then Terrazine has the nerve to attack Central!"

Jitsumi's mouth fell open in shock. Her brother was in Central now. Did that mean…?

"My cousin called me just now! He was one of the few that managed to keep power safe! He says that it's pretty much a war out there. They even managed to get to Central's military headquarters!"

That was the last straw.

O O O

"Hello ladies. What lovely weather we're having today huh? I'm glad we were spared."

"Oh, Jack, it's you. Jitsumi must already waiting for you," The head nurse cheerfully replied before frowning. "Hang on, she actually didn't tell us you were coming. That's weird, cause she'd normally tell us."

The mercenary's gut suddenly tightened, but he still forced a grin. "I suppose it just slip her mind then."

"Yes, I suppose. Say, did you hear about the attack?"

"Attack?"

"Why, Terrazine is attacking Fale! Those barbarians have no sense whatsoever in-"

Without bothering to listen to the rest of the sentence, Jack sprinted forwards down the hallway and slammed the hospital doors open. His eyes grew wide as they scanned the room, finding nothing. Then, a movement caught his eyes.

Since when did Jitsumi leave the windows open?

"Oh, goddammit Jitsumi."

O O O

**July 18****th****, Year 10**

Jitsumi fell out of the train panting heavily, her sides doubled over. Even the act of moving was hell, as every cell in her body screamed for her to lie down and rest. But she couldn't. Real hell would be if her brother was hurt!

Following her escape from the hospital, Jitsumi stopped only at her apartment to pick up a few necessary objects and arrange a few items. Then, she took off for the train station. As she'd hope, a train was parked there at the platform, all services shut down due to the emergency. It was too easy to hijack it and push it full throttle to Central station, where she just emerged from after parking the train.

After a few moments of deep breathing and focused energy, Jitsumi managed to stand back up straight again. Her mouth felt wet with the blood she was coughing out, but the fluids were quickly wiped away using the back of her hand. The girl looked upwards at the dark clouds of Central, slightly perturbed by the constant gunfire as she caught a glimpse of something ridiculous.

What must've amount to a small army of Dropships flew overhead, blasting full power to the heart of Fale. Missile Turrets must be nearby because Jitsumi heard multiple rockets firing off as bright white missiles soared into the sky, tracking the Terrazine attackers. But instead of making contact with the Dropships, the missiles slammed into a wall of ice that suddenly appeared out of the air, nullifying all damage and allowing the Dropships to emerge unscratched.

Deciding that her best bet was the follow them, Jitsumi looked around and spotted a metal fire escape. With well-trained limbs, she hefted herself upwards and climbed to the roof. Her brother needed her, and woe be anybody if she met any Terrazine foes on the roofs!

Lucky for them, it would appear that they opted not to hinder Jitsumi's progress to Central Headquarters, as she arrived on a nearby rooftop. Her eyes widened slightly at the total war that raged at the walls, with men dying left and right. It didn't matter what color they were, they all fell in the same way as death swung its scythe multiple times in this battle. Jitsumi breathed deeply and had a brief coughing fit before leaping down, dashing forwards and around to the side of what had to be the main conflict.

Again, it was great luck when she found the back walls devoid of men. She gritted her teeth as she used her sais to climb up the metal defenses, ignoring the burning pain in her abdomen muscles as she pulled herself up. The metal blades were sharp and cut through the reinforced metal easily enough, but as she leapt over the walls, the daggers became firmly stuck in. After tugging for a while, Jitsumi let out a frustrated growl and kicked them, driving them further in. Now, she was two main weapons short.

Stealthily, she hopped down from the walls and ran across the grounds to the back entrance of Headquarters. It was dangerous and risky, for Terran Marines trooped out from the multiple Barracks surrounding the main building far too often to not get seen. But it would seem that their main priority was joining the battle up front- here in the back, very little attention was given to a flutter of movement and a glimpse of a red scarf.

With a kick, Jitsumi knocked in the cover of a vent and swiftly climbed in, passing over the ever increasing pain in her chest as she climbed through the metal ducts. Even when confined in a bed for over two years, her ears were still as alert as ever. By simply staying still and closing her eyes, she could hear the distinct echo of two blades clashing against each other. That had to be where her brother was!

After making several twists and turns, Jitsumi finally arrived at her destination. The cover clanged down noisily in the hallways as the girl dropped down from the air vents, one hand on her back as the other was held up with a kunai. Seeing nothing, she quickly made her way to the door's edge and gently pushed it open slightly, just enough for her to see the fight.

O O O

Seeing that his opponent's blade was somehow still in one piece, the black hair fighter changed stance and brought his blade back in a swift manner, slightly tilting it before thrusting forward with both hands on his hilt. It was a perfectly executed attack, meant to finish off the fight without any trouble or retaliation. There was no way Zeb could twist to block or dodge the blade.

The white hair man did neither, and instead used his left hand to catch Takeshi's blade with two fingers. The katana suddenly lost all power behind its attack as two mere gloved digits held it in place. As the strategist's eyes widened in disbelief, Zeb smiled and brought back his sword, smashing into Takeshi's chest with the bottom of the hilt. As expected, the hard metal finally cracked bone after the previous blows and pushed the Terran back without giving him time to rest. Acting on experience, Zeb lowered the blade and then slashed directly upwards.

Instinct told Takeshi to stumble back as his lungs suddenly became tighter and harder to breathe, and that saved him from having half his chest and head cleaved off. But what it didn't save was a good chunk of his right cheek and the eye on that side. The blade cut through the flesh and glossy orb without stopping, blood flying out as Zeb's sword cut through part of Takeshi's forehead for good measure.

Crying out in pain and shock, the Terran grabbed the right side of his face with his left hand, keeping his right hand firmly on his sword's hilt. The pain in both his head and his chest began to all pile up, making it suddenly neigh impossible to focus on anything. "Dammit...! Why won't your blade break?!"

"It's a cursed blade." Zeb quietly said as he swished his sword around, preparing for a finishing strike. "Your sword may be made out of the strongest metals, but even it cannot break the runes inlaid within this blade. Now, be blessed with the peace of death!"

O O O

"No!" Jitsumi quickly yanked a canister from her belt and pulled the pin, tossing it into the room. It clacked and clinked as it rolled on the ground, distracting the white hair swordsman when he looked at it while Takeshi prepared for the sudden explosion of gas.

The smoke bomb exploded and that was when Jitsumi rushed into the room. As she entered the smoke, some part of her brain screamed, "Stay out of the gas! It's phosphorus gas, your body can't handle it without dying!"

The other and majority part screamed back, "Shut up! I'm saving my brother's life!"

Her eyes immediately spotted the dark form of her brother through the smoke, the wounded man hunched down on the floor. With a gasp and cough, she grabbed him by the front and pulled him up, her abdomens suddenly numb as an odd tingling began in her body, starting from the spot where the bullets defiled her. Her ears picked up an ominous whistling and Jitsumi reacted accordingly, reaching back with her right hand and drawing the wakizashi smoothly out of its wooden sheath.

The cursed blade pinged uselessly off the drawn sword and Jitsumi took this opportunity as a chance to finally escape. This time, as she pulled, Takeshi was suddenly cooperative and the two of them fled the smoke cloud, escaping through one of the many hallways out of the atrium. They heard Zeb's bellow of anger behind them, but it was too late; they were gone.

Jitsumi stumbled and Takeshi caught her with ease, yanking her upwards as she suddenly lost all strength. Swearing and bleeding profusely from one eye, the General hauled his twin upwards into his arms and managed to get into a jog. He needed to find a private room!

With a powerful kick, Takeshi broke into his boss' office and rushed over to the main desk, dropping Jitsumi on the furniture and placing his hands on the wooden desk as the pain caught up with him. Along with that came mind blowing realization. "Jitsumi! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Saving your ass," The girl weakly replied, throwing a serious coughing fit as blood practically sprayed out of her mouth. "I told you- you never have to fear for your life while I'm around."

"Dammit, you pushed yourself too hard!" The Terran General glanced backwards at the barely closed door, his mind trying to figure out solutions. "Hang on, I'll see if I can find medicine-!"

"Brother…you know that it's too late." Her words slammed into him like a sudden betrayal and he stared at her, bewildered by her announcement. "I…ack…gave everything I could to save you…"

"No, don't talk that way! I can figure out a solution, I can solve this! I'm a tactician blast it! I can turn the tables on this!"

"Stop." Jitsumi's weak hand shot up and tugged at her brother's bloodstained collar, pulling him down to her level. With ragged breathing, she used her other hand to rip off a part of her beloved red scarf and tied it around Takeshi's ruined eye, firmly tugging on the new red bandage that her brother would wear for the rest of his life. "Here…my first gift…"

"Jitsumi-!"

"Secondly…gah!" Red blood was flowing freely from her mouth now, but she didn't care as she reached behind and pulled the wooden sheath and sword out, placing it next to her on the desk. "Now…two blades become one again….black!"

"Stop, stop!"

"My last gift…is in my apartment…here!" Her trembling hand reached into a pouch and pulled out a key, forcing it into her twin's hand. "Hidden compartment….! Robes...!"

"Jitsumi, stay awake! Do not die on me! You are going to give it to me yourself, you hear me?!" Takeshi yelled, grabbing his sister's hand just as it fell limp, unable to muster any more strength from its host. "I, as General of the Terran Empire, command you to live!"

"…Takeshi…we know that I hate orders…" Jitsumi closed her eyes and gave a rueful grin, blood now slowly trickling out from her mouth as Takeshi frantically wiped at it with his ruined cloak. "If you want…me…live…pain."

"What?!"

"Pain…that is...why I fight…!" Her eyes snapped open and they were crimson red, but it was odd. They shouldn't be distorted by tears. "Brother…I fight for pain...so nobody else has to! Promise…me!"

"No, no, no, no!" Takeshi sobbed, his composure completely gone now as he held the hand of his dying blood. "Don't you dare…! Jack-!"

"Promise me!"

"I…I promise! I'll fight so nobody else will endure the same pain we do ever again! I'll make this world one you can be proud of! One where you and Jack could've been married!"

In one last moment of blinding clearness, Jitsumi's eyes returned back to normal and she smiled peacefully. "I'm happy," The black hair mercenary whispered before her head dropped back, a vacant expression in her eyes as her hand fell limp.

Takeshi screamed. He screamed for his sister, for his father, for his mother. He screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed at whatever deities there were. He screamed until his voice cracked and gave out, leaving only a broken twin to mourn his dead twin.

Eventually, he let go of Jitsumi's hand, placing it over her chest. With his other hand, his eyes swept over Jitsumi's eyes, closing them gently so she looked only sleeping. His mouth touched her forehead once before turning around, leaving behind in the Commander's office an angel who sacrificed herself for the Empire.

A quick flip ensured that his hood was up and that his face was once again hidden. As Takeshi slowly exited and closed the door to the office behind him, he looked up just in time to see a firing line of Terranzine Marines. With a deep breath, he placed a hand on the hilt and asked, "What do you fight for?"

The Terran Empire would win that day, thanks to the sacrifice of not just one, but two outside heroes. Historians would remember the noble Prince Zeb, sacrificing his life for his sister and his friends. Only select few would hint at the kind Jitsumi, giving up her wellbeing for her brother and his future.

O O O

**August 9****th****, Year 10**

His work started at dawn, and it ended late evening.

The black hair man blamed the rather long work period on his inexperience as a gardener, but he was more than happy to spend it on this particular task. There was never too much time spent, especially in this place. Takeshi patted his gloved hands on his new blue cloak, looking at his handiwork. He nodded in satisfaction and picked up the shovel on the ground besides him, placing it on his shoulder.

A small sapling stood out from a patch of newly dug dirt. Its fragile shoots wavered as the autumn wind blew past, but the cherry blossom plant stood tall much like its neighbors: two rectangular tombstones in the Tate cemetery. One day, it would grow into a beautiful sakura tree, blossoming and spraying its cherry blossoms all over Tate.

"I hope you like it," The living twin told the dead one, whose ashes were buried under a personally engraved tombstone. "That way, you and Father can finally enjoy it after years of missing it in Hanar."

The tombstone said nothing, but as Takeshi's eyes gazed over it, he smiled internally as the epitaph said all.

_Sakura blossoms_

_Floating gently to the land_

_Two never the same_

_Jitsumi_

_Beloved sister_

Takeshi was so engrossed in it that he didn't even realize someone approaching until he heard the sound of a hammer pulling back in a blaster. "Tell me," Jack quietly asked, "Why I shouldn't blow your head off right here and now."

"Because Jitsumi were smack you silly for it," The strategist replied, never looking directly at his almost brother-in-law as he turned from his fruits of labor. "If you excuse me, I have a world to rebuild."

"…DAMMIT!" The trigger was pulled, but nothing came out of the chamber as Jack threw it angrily aside, collapsing at his friend's grave and grabbing at the dirt. "Why?! Why did she do it for you?! Didn't she care about me? At all?! Was I just her anti-depressant medicine!?"

Without looking back as he walked, Takeshi answered, "No, she cared about you. That was the problem. She cared about all of us. Too much love, too little time. Fight for it."

"…If you ever need a mercenary, you have my number."

"I do. Thank you for everything…Jack."

O O O

**December 29****th****, Year 12**

"Hey, are you even paying attention?!" Takeshi's glazed eyes refocused as a hand was slammed down next to him, the sudden noise breaking his memory stream. "General Takeshi?!"

"Oh, apologies." The swordsman looked up to see General Marlowe of the Terran Nations glaring at him, looking rather miffed that his conversation partner wasn't listening. "I was busy thinking about the past."

"Very well, I'll let you off this time! But listen to me for this: get a cybernetic eye!"

"Beg pardon?"

"You're obviously missing an eye!" The young man pointed and Takeshi instantly knew he was talking about the red sash around his face. "Get a replacement eye that's even better. I have one myself just because it's so handy!"

Indeed, the Terran strategist always did think that one of Marlowe's eyes looked different. The iris was composed of a circuit board-like pattern and the pupil pulsed an eerily green color. It must give him advance sights and observations, which could be handy.

"No thank you." Takeshi stood up and stretched, mildly surprised by how tired his muscles ached. "I prefer to keep a reminder of pain close to me."

"What a loony," The black hair man heard Marlowe mutter as Takeshi exited the bridge of the _Asgard_, walking down a long hallway. He emerged out into a large empty room devoid of anything, and simply turned to stare out at the stars, a clear sight thanks to one of the walls being simply a window in this viewing area.

A constant clanking noise was heard and the General instantly knew that Nightwolf was approaching. The Predator stood next to the human, both of them looking out into nothingness. "Blood pressure is elevated. Explanation?" The robotic dog asked in its mechanical voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just think about some memories…Wolfie."

"Wolfie?"

"She would have loved to call you that." Takeshi closed his eye and then opened them in a single motion. Instead of the black pupil he normally bore, the eye flashed red for a brief second before fading away. "I'll call you that in her memory."

"Do not understand. Who is this female you refer to?"

"Nobody, but an angel of kindness who has shown me the way forwards. Who showed me why I fight. Who was closer to my heart than anybody will ever be." The strategist of the Terran Empire gave a slight grin as he looked at the robot. "Do you want to spar again? I can teach you something new."

**IT'S DONE. YAY.**

**So I didn't totally rush and nearly miss the deadline.**

**Anyway, what'd you think? Yay or nay on Jitsumi? I really like her as a character. She is, unsurprisingly, based off Metal Gear Rising's Raiden, in the same way how Takeshi was based off Sam. But I threw in a bit of Monsoon in there to add to her personality of conflict. Her appearance, in my mind, was strongly influenced by Kagerou Project's Ayano (MY EYES STILL SWEAT) and a bit of Kunoichi from Samurai Warriors.**

**Jack was...interesting. I sadly couldn't put as much of him as I'd like to, but ah well. Just know that his name comes from a brilliant game and that his appearance was nailed into my head by Alvin from Tales of Xillia. And don't worry, this won't be the last time you see him!**

**So, please leave a review about this one-shot! And also, check out my page for a poll! I plan on doing another one-shot in time for the holidays, but this time, you guys choose one of two options! Either how Cain met Anthony, or the mysterious Terrazine savior! Vote early and vote often! (Just don't shave off your beards to double vote, okay?)**

**Anyway, thank you for a Year of the Rebirth! All your reviews have been treasured and propelled me into where I am now! Thank you! ARIGATO!**


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